I Won't Leave You, No Matter The Danger
by XPadfootTheWolfX
Summary: This is just a story I thought of where Ochako & Izuku get attacked by a villain on their way back to UA. When Ochako gets taken and severely injured by the villain, how will this effect Izuku and Class 1-A? Sorry I suck as summaries. I do not own My Hero Academia/characters.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **The Shock**

Lights flashed all around him, loud sirens echoed in his ears and the pounding of rushed footsteps made the street vibrate beneath his red sneakers. Izuku Midoriya sat on a nearby bench, a fluffy blanket draped over his hunched shoulders and a bottle of water sitting untouched beside him. He was shaking, and he watched his own tears drip onto the pavement around his shoes as the memories replayed in his mind like some horrible movie stuck on a loop.

It had been a normal day, training at U.A. high school proving as grueling and difficult as usual, his school work nearly finished as the evening had begun to set in. He had left his room to meet his classmates in the main living space of the dorms when Ochako had come to him asking if he wanted to come with her to pick up some supplies for the cakes Sato was planning on making that night after dinner. He had quickly agreed, excited to get some fresh air and secretly excited to spend some alone time with Ochako. They had left with the promise that they would return soon and had enjoyed a lovely evening together walking down to the town that held the nearest supermarket.

It had all happened so fast, Izuku could barely remember the sequence of events that had followed the two of them leaving the supermarket with their groceries. They had taken a more quiet route back to the campus to avoid the groups of people who would crowd around them excitedly once they recognized them as U.A. students. It had gotten dark but the pair had brought flashlights to see. Unfortunately, the darkness still hindered their ability to see and it had resulted in a villain creeping up on them. The villain had used the darkness as a cover before cornering them in an empty alleyway, holding them at gunpoint. Izuku had tried to run to the nearest shop to get help using One for All (he had known that fighting would have been useless against an eight metal-armed villain with a gun). He had almost made it, his power surging him forward, but then the shot had rung out. Izuku remembered bracing himself for a pain, until it never came and he heard a loud scream behind him. The image of Ochako's limp, injured form lying on the pavement was burned in his brain as if Bakugo had placed it there, torturing him every time it replayed in his mind. She had saved his life, while he ran for the nearest shelter. He knew in his heart he had just been trying to help, but it was his fault. His fault she had been taken.

When he had turned to race back to her side, he had tripped over the rubble the villain's eight metal arms had created in the road, and had fallen to the ground, landing hard on the broken blacktop. The last thing he remembered was the villain rushing at Ochako while at the same time throwing rubble in his direction. When the police and the ambulances had arrived, they had said that he was lucky he did not suffer more severe head damage from the few pieces of rubble that had managed to hit him. He guessed he was lucky that the villain had such bad aim.

The police had given him the fluffy blanket for shock once he had been cleared physically by the doctors on sight. The teachers from U.A. suddenly appeared at the scene, Aizawa and All Might being the first ones to arrive, Aizawa striding up to the police immediately while All Might trotted over to Izuku. Although he tried, Izuku could not force his body to stop shaking even as his idol strode over to him, tears in his eyes as well.

"Oh Midoriya my boy," he said. "You are alive and relatively okay." He reached a thin hand up and gingerly rested it on Izuku's head wound which was wrapped with thick white gauze. Izuku said nothing as more tears streamed down his face. All Might said nothing more as the two sat in silence on the bench, waiting for news from Aizawa who was now speaking with more urgency to the police. Aizawa's face was white as a sheet, even more pale than usual, his face tight with suppressed emotion. With a final word, he stalked away from the police and made his way over to Izuku, who refused to look into his teacher's eyes.

"Are you alright Izuku?" He asked. Izuku was so surprised at the use of his first name by his most strict teacher that he looked right into his eyes before he could even register what had happened. As soon as he met eyes with Aizawa, Izuku could not bring himself to tear away from that locking gaze.

"I'm okay." He said, his voice shaking. Aizawa glanced at All Might, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Are you okay to talk about what happened?"

"Not now Aizawa!" All Might countered. "He is obviously not fit to recall those events at this moment, just give him a little bit."

Izuku looked up at his idol and saw a bit of annoyance mixed in with the concern that filled his eyes. Aizawa stared at All Might for a few seconds before bowing to Izuku.

"My apologies Midoriya, let's get you back to the dorms." He said straightening.

"What about Uraraka?" Izuku called out to his teacher's retreating back.

Aizawa paused.

"We are starting rescue operations immediately but the villain you described in an unknown one, he is not in the immediate police records so we have to do a little bit of research before we try to plunge right into the belly of the monster."

"But-"

"We are trying everything we can right now, Midoriya. I know she was your good friend but you need to try to think about her for a second. If we try to go into this blindly, then it could endanger her further, she could more easily be used as a hostage or she could be killed." Aizawa said without turning.

The last sentence sent a chill down Izuku's spine as if Todoroki had used his quirk to solidify his back into a solid ice block.

"She's not a good friend," Izuku mumbled. "She's the best friend I've ever had."

Aizawa turned to face Midoriya, his face blank but his eyes wide with emotion. Aizawa did not show his emotions too often but now, in this time of fear and danger, Aizawa could not help but show emotion for one of his most hard working students. Although he did not tell Midoriya, he greatly feared for Ochako's life.

Izuku had been very grateful for Aizawa, All Might and his mother, Inko, who walked him back to the dorms after comforting him on the bench for a while. His mother had shown up in tears similar to her son and had embraced him in a rib-cracking hug upon laying eyes on him. Now though, he was happy to be alone with his thoughts as he padded up the steps to the dorm entrance, his shoes scuffing the pavement as he walked half-heartedly to the doors. He sighed and pushed them open, his face washed in gold as the light from inside covered his entire body. He stood back blinking, his eyes adjusting to the bright lights coming from inside.

Every single light in the building must have be turned on, Midoriya realized as he was finally able to walk inside. As soon as he thought he was adjusted to the lighting in the building, everything went black again. He yelped in surprise as several student bodies rushed for him, blocking out the lights as they crowded him, all of them talking at once. He tried to push through or get their attention but it was a mass of fear and confusion that surrounded him, his classmates not hearing a word he was saying even though they were all grabbling to hear an explanation for their prolonged absence and Aizawa's quick departure.

Suddenly, a loud clear voice rang out over the crowd.

"Everyone back away from Midoriya! Give him some space, NOW!" Iida's voice broke apart the students of class 1-A, their shock evident on their faces as his angry voice echoed throughout the room.

"Thank you." He said with a quick bow. He then made his way over to Izuku, a supportive arm around his shoulders as he guided him to the couch. The other students followed close behind, but they gave the pair some space this time. The whole class gathered in the main living space, their eyes on Izuku.

Silence filled the room.

"Are you okay?" Kirishima asked after the silence had stretched for some time. "You look pretty beat up."

Izuku looked at Kirishima and saw that his eyes were kind and soft like they always were when he was speaking to someone in need. But even with the encouragement evident in Kirishima's eyes, Izuku could not bring himself to tell them what had happened. He had failed them. The tears that had finally dried on his face were now replaced with new ones, bright salty tears that slid down his face and landed on his pant legs.

"Really? You are crying again, you dumb ass baby." Izuku stiffened at Bakugo's words, his rage hardly contained as the arrogant boy slunk from behind the couch to get a good look at Izuku's face.

"BAKUGO YOU INSENSITIVE-"

Bakugo cut Iida off.

"Man, you are having some real issues today Iida, I think you are hanging out with this damn nerd and his fat ass floaty friend too much lately." Bakugo said with a laugh.

Bakugo didn't even see Midoriya swing around to face him, but he did feel the sudden sting of his face and he felt the force of the punch throw his body backwards. Bakugo hit the wall with surprising force and groaned with pain and surprise.

"Midoriya!" Iida shouted in utter shock.

Izuku didn't say a word as he rose from the couch and sprinted to his room, slamming the door behind him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Kaminari asked, his face a perfect representation of the feelings of the students assembled.

"I don't know." Sue said, her eyes wide with concern

"I don't know either, but whatever happened, it's bad." Bakugo said. He sat up slowly and pushed himself to his feet. Kirishima leapt up from his spot on the couch and rushed to Bakugo's side, holding out a hand to him to help him up.

After a pause, Bakugo accepted the hand and stood up with another groan of pain. He looked behind him to see a sizable dent in the wall. He turned back around to face the students assembled.

"I have bullied him for most of our childhood," Bakugo admitted. "I even told him to kill himself once."

The class gasped and Iida even growled in anger.

"But the thing is," Bakugo turned to look in the direction of Midoriya's room. "He's never lifted a finger towards me before. Not even harsh words, he has always bounced back as bright and caring as before. Something is extremely wrong."

The class all looked towards Midoriya's room in silence, the room thick with unanswered questions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **The Challenge**

Iida knew that Izuku's door was unlocked even as he knocked, so when no answer responded to his question of entry, he pushed the door open anyway.

Izuku was lying on his bed, his eyes closed as he held a polaroid photo to his chest, his breathing still hitched and uneven as if he were still crying despite the lack of tears. Iida swallowed his own tears and looked back at Tsuyu, Tokoyami and Kirishima, who were waiting behind him for news. Iida nodded at them and the four of them filed into the room, closing the door carefully behind them.

The rest of the students had already gone back to their rooms, exhausted in the after effects of their adrenaline rushes caused by the panic of the situation. These four students had remained behind though, too worried about their friend to sleep.

Izuku did not stir for a while, someone looking in on him may have thought him to be sleeping, but his close friends knew better, he was lying awake, he was just trying to drown himself in sleep. When his four friends did not leave after a while of waiting, Izuku slowly opened his eyes and without turning his head, looked at them. His eyes were still a little watery but most of his tears had dried up. Kirishima sat on the floor while Tokoyami and Tsuyu found two chairs to sit in, pulling them to the center of the room on either side of Kirishima. Iida however, made his way over to Izuku's bed and sat down on the end of it, his eyes never leaving his friend.

Nobody said a word.

And then, in the dark silence, Izuku spoke so softly that if any sound at all had been in the room, his friends would not have heard it.

"It's my fault." He gulped. "I should have protected her. I should have gone in her place, or died for her rather than run for help. I'm so stupid."

Iida's eyes flashed. None of class 1-A knew what had happened but they had a pretty good idea, they just didn't know the details. That sentence alone confirmed their fears.

"Midoriya, please, tell us what happened. We want to help in any way possible." Tokoyami spoke up from his chair on the left side of Kirishima. Izuku gulped again, trying desperately (and failing) to keep more tears from sliding down his cheeks.

"I… I…" Izuku took a deep breath and sat up from his pillow, turning to look at his friends directly.

"I failed Ochako!" He cried out. "I let her get shot and taken by villains instead of protecting her! I can't even hold a candle to her, she saved my life and I acted like a coward not a hero!" He placed his face in his hands and sobbed into them, his shoulders heaving. Iida looked down at Izuku's lap to where the polaroid photo had fallen when he sat up. Iida's own tears surfaced and spilled down his cheeks as he stared at the photo of Izuku and Ochako laughing while floating in the air, Ochako spraying Izuku with water while he laughed and attempted to shield himself with his hands. Iida remembered that day because he had taken the photo for them.

Quickly rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, Iida stood from the end of the bed and sat beside Izuku, wrapping an arm around his shaking shoulders while he cried. Nobody spoke, they just listened as Izuku attempted to stifle his sobs, Iida holding him in his sturdy arms.

Suddenly, everyone in the room whipped around as the door to Izuku's door was blasted open, and everyone except Izuku frowned when Bakugo stepped into the room, his hand still smoking.

"Everyone clear out, I need to speak to Deku." He said, his arms crossed over his chest and his foot tapping impatiently on the floor of the bedroom.

Iida stood up sharply, his hand still resting comfortingly on Izuku's shoulder.

"Whatever you want to say can be said in front of us!" Iida snapped. Izuku had never heard him sound so angry before. "I don't trust you Bakugo, and we don't need you making the situation worse."

Bakugo's face scrunched into a snarl for a moment and then suddenly relaxed.

"Please, I need to speak to him alone."

Izuku looked up from the photo he had been miserably staring at and looked directly into Bakugo's face. He saw the determined flash in his eyes and made a decision.

"It's okay everyone, thanks for coming in but I want to hear what Kacchan has to say."

Iida's eyes searched Izuku's face before he closed them and nodded grimly.

"If he gives you any trouble just say the word, Midoriya." Iida said before stalking past Bakugo and out the door, Tsuyu and Tokoyami following him out.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Bakugo grabbed the chair that Tokoyami had been sitting in and dragged it to the side of the bed so that he was as close to Izuku as he was comfortable getting.

"I heard what happened." Bakugo said quietly after they had sat in an awkward silence together for a while. Izuku just closed his eyes and forced himself not to cry as the horrible memories replayed in his mind.

"I am only going to say this once, so listen carefully you damn nerd." Bakugo said, standing from his chair and pacing in front of the bed.

"You have a thing for Ochako, don't you?" Bakugo said, spinning to look Izuku straight in the eye. Izuku was flabbergasted and tried to search for the right words in a slight haze of panic.

"Kacchan! I… I… I…"

Bakugo held up a hand to silence him but did not break his gaze from Izuku's eyes.

"I said, you have a thing for Ochako don't you? Don't you?" Bakugo said with more assertion this time.

"Yes." Izuku gasped out, his shoulders slumping even more.

Bakugo nodded at him curtly and continued his pacing.

"Listen to me nerd, you are the cause of this issue, you tried to follow a course of action that did not have the best outcome. I know it was not for selfish reasons but that is what happened. As a result, Ochako was injured and kidnapped by a dangerous villain-"

"I already know what happened Kacchan!" Izuku snapped, cutting him off. "I don't understand your purpose in talking to me if you are just going to bury me further in shame."

Bakugo suddenly launched forward, placing both hands on Izuku's shoulders and pinning him to the back headboard of the bed.

"I am here because although you screwed up, you are the strongest person I know."

The compliment shocked Izuku so much that his mouth just hung, frozen open so that no words could come out.

"And despite the things I say about her, Round Cheeks is an amazing hero. She will raise through the ranks faster than a lot of out class will due to her kindness and loyalty but also her strive, determination and fighting spirit. We WILL get her back, and we Will destroy the villain that threatened my friends and your girlfriend.

Izuku blushed deeply at Bakugo's last remark but could not form the words to correct him.

"Kacchan-"

"Don't even try to correct me." Bakugo snapped, sitting up and releasing Izuku from the headboard.

"We will get her back if it is the last thing we do, Izuku."

Even through the haze of shock that swallowed Izuku at the fact that Bakugo had used his real name, he managed to nod, a look of fierce determination taking over his features. Bakugo thought he could even see a hint of love mixed in with that fury. Bakugo stood and walked over to the door, flinging it open so hard that it hit the wall and made a small dent.

"Let's go get her." Bakugo said.

"Right!" Izuku yelled, leaping up from his place on the bed. Izuku turned and placed the polaroid photo on his bedside table before following Bakugo out of his room.

"Go get dressed into your hero costume, we are going hunting." Bakugo said with a wicked smile, his hands popping as he created small sparks.

"Of course. I'll also go wake a few of the others, we will need their help." Izuku said, making his way to Iida's room while Bakugo walked over to Todoroki's, his hands still smoking.

Soon a small group of heroes in training were gathered in the main living space, their costumes on and their faces set as Izuku and Bakugo started to lead the charge. The group consisted of Todoroki, Iida, Tokoyami, Tsuyu, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Shoji, Bakugo and Izuku. The team made their way through the dorms and outside, walking quietly off of the path, veering instead through the forest to avoid detection. The night was chilly and deathly quiet but the group remained on high alert. Izuku led the group with Bakugo and Tsuyu at his side, trying to scrape a plan together as they walked. He would have liked to have been better prepared but he feared for Ochako's life, unsure if she would survive the night. He shook his head as he remembered Bakugo's words. She was strong, she would survive the night, and he would reach her no matter what.

With the normal sounds of the night the group might have missed it, but in the dead quiet of this night, they heard the soft shift of pine needles as someone approached them. The group froze as the sound grew louder. They were just about to scatter and hide when a slim figure dressed in black slipped through the trees behind them, and whispered so that they all jumped like frogs in surprise.

"Did you really think you could leave undetected?" Aizawa said, his voice a deadly whisper filled with suppressed venom.

The team whipped around their fists raised like scared dogs as they looked right at their angry teacher.

"What are you all thinking?" Aizawa snarled, his eyes glinting like red rubies, his hair raised above his head like hackles raised on a dog.

Bakugo stepped forward, meeting Aizawa's wrath with a furious snarl.

"It was my idea, but we are going to rescue our friend before she ends up looking like a string of ribbon."

"I said that the police are on the case!" Aizawa snapped.

"Fuck the police!" Bakugo snapped and everyone gasped. "They are too slow, the will resemble something like gum on the bottom of your boot if we do not do something now."

If Aizawa was shocked he did not reveal it, he just stared down Bakugo, his fury building like dragon fire. Finally, Aizawa spoke again.

"Do you even know where you are going?" Aizawa asked.

"We are going to the crime scene." Todoroki said. "We are going to go look for clues as to where the villain might have gone with Ochako."

Aizawa tilted his head.

"Not a bad place to start but you are not allowed at the crime scene. Going there can be identified as meddling with evidence, which is a punishable crime."

"Tsk." Bakugo closed his eyes and raised his head in frustration, his hair glowing a milky blonde in the moonlight.

"I guess you will need a pro to give you access through the police." Aizawa said. The students assembled looked up in surprise at what he was suggesting. Aizawa sighed and placed a hand on the bridge of his nose, his hair falling back into place and his eyes dimming in their fierceness.

"I understand how you feel and secretly, I agree." Aizawa said looking at them directly without blinking. The class was held in his gaze. "I should not condone this behavior, and I will not in the future, but I will help you."

The students released a breath and smiled at one another. Izuku looked directly at his teacher and saw him nod ever so slightly. Izuku nodded back and smiled a little so that Aizawa could see his gratitude. Aizawa didn't react, but Izuku could of sworn he saw the corners of his teacher's mouth twitch upwards.

"Let's go get Ochako back." Aizawa said, his eyes bright with unhidden sorrow and a fierce anger that swelled in his like a beast uncurling in his heart.

"Afterall, I can't let one of my flock be picked off by the wolves, otherwise more danger will come." Aizawa took a breath. "I must protect every single one of my children."

He said the last part so quietly that the students thought they had imagined it, but the shock written on the faces around them convinced them otherwise.

Izuku and Bakugo fell back behind Aizawa and they began to trudge through the forest.

Together.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Pain vs Evil**

The first thing that Ochako Uraraka noticed was that it was extremely hot. It was this severe heat that had roused her from her deep sleep, abruptly waking her as the heat rolled over her like ocean waves. She used one arm to push herself up into a half sitting position when a sharp jolt of pain shot through her side and down her legs. She couldn't hold back the scream that escaped from her mouth as they pain rocketed through her, and only managed to stifle the sound by biting her fist. She didn't know where she was, everything was pitch black, suffocating her senses as if she had been packed into a hole filled with sand. She shook her head, trying to clear it, and reached a tentative hand around her in a small circle, trying to avoid stretching her wounds as she searched for some sort of weapon or tool to use. When she found nothing in her immediate circle, she stretched forward just slightly, searching for anything, even a small pocket knife to have at her disposal. She sucked in a breath at the pain but forced herself to lean farther forward.

Suddenly, her hand touched something cold and smooth, a refreshing feeling against the stifling heat. Forgetting her pain momentarily, Ochako launched forward and curled her fingers around the object. The pain reminded her of its presence as it returned in full force, nearly knocking her back with its ferocity. Ochako bit her fist so hard that she bled, her teeth puncturing four tiny slits in the side of her hand. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes but she did not care to wipe them away as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Her heart was beating so fast it didn't feel like it was beating at all, fluttering wildly in her chest like a hummingbird trying to escape a cage.

As her breathing and heartbeat finally slowed to a more normal pace, she lifted the object that was still clutched in her hand and brought it up to her face. One quick sniff told her it was metal, and she inwardly cheered, hoping it was some sort of weapon. She ran her fingers over the object, keeping her pinky in the air to avoid floating it away on accident, her finger pads dragged over the smooth object, feeling out its shape. It felt curved and although it was smooth on one side, she discovered that it was inverted on the other side like a sharp, long trowel. As her fingers explored the object even more she found that it had extremely sharp tips and a huge dent that fanned out on both edges of the narrow object, creating sharp broken pieces of metal that fanned out from the original object. She could not determine what it was but figured that she could try to use it as a weapon should things come to that.

She looked around, trying to discern anything from the thick darkness, a small light or a hole somewhere that would allow her to find help or an exit. That was when she remembered her phone. Her eyes went wide and she brought her hand quickly from the metal object to her pocket, digging around for the familiar item that she always kept with her.

"You won't find what you are looking for in there." A voice echoed softly from directly in front of her.

Ochako yelped and scrambled away from where she had been laying, ignoring the white hot pain that stabbed at her side and legs. Her heart was in her throat, leaping to escape and her breathing had turned so ragged that she was struggling to get air into her lungs without a burning feeling setting her throat on fire. She instinctively dropped the metal object, covering her side wound with one hand and holding out the other hand defensively, as if that would help her against an attack.

Suddenly, bright lights flickered on, washing the whole room in a blinding white light so that Ochako had to cover her eyes with the hand she had been holding out in front of her. She forced herself to open her eyes, blinking back the tears that the light brought to her eyes and peered through her fingers, looking for the owner of the voice that sent chills racking through her body despite the heat.

As soon as her eyes were adjusted enough for her to see, she saw a man slumped over in a comfy armchair, his arms draped lazily over the armrests and his face covered with a goggled mask. She also noticed what she had been holding and managed to scoot farther away from him despite the pain. She had been holding one of his metal claws. The metal claw rose from where she had dropped it on the ground like a snake who had just awoken from its deep slumber, snapping its pointed tips menacingly. Ochako put a hand to her mouth, trying to control her shaking as she drew her eyes away from the claw and settled them on the man in the center of the room.

The man lifted one arm lazily to his face and pulled off the mask in a simple, fluid motion. The green light of the goggles glinted in the white light as he pulled the night vision mask from his face. He took a second to blink away the effects of the bright light and wiped away the sweat at his brow before turning his gaze to Ochako, who was half sitting up, half laying down in a puddle of her own blood. He raised two fingers to his brow and rubbed his eyes with a frown on his face.

"Tsk tsk this is such a mess," he said.

At first Ochako thought he was talking about his crime and the amount of damaged he caused to the town but then he gestured to her broken body with one of his metal claws.

"There is blood all over my floor, I meant to recharge before you woke up and spread it everywhere but that didn't quite go according to plan." He said with a growl.

Ochako swallowed her anger and kept her mouth shut. If she was to survive to see another day, she needed to be smart. He had given her some information, he needed to recharge and it had taken longer than expected. It wasn't much, but she raked through her mind in search of a way to use that information against him.

The man then stood up abruptly, the chair shooting out from behind him and his claws raising to their full height beside him. Ochako counted eight claws in total, snapping their tips like the jaws of angry alligators.

That was when the memories all came back. Walking with Deku through town, getting groceries for Sato, being cornered in the alleyway by an eight armed villain, seeing Deku launch to the nearest store to get help, the bullet soaring through the air, almost in slow motion as she bolted after it, leaping in front of it at the last second. The rest was all dark so she assumed she had been knocked out after that point.

 _She had been shot._

The realization hit her nearly as hard as the pain had, shock electrifying her bones and setting her side on fire. She gasped and removed the arm that was covering it so that she could see the damage in the bright light. All of the color drained from her face as she saw the blood seeping from the hole in her side like a thick red ink spilling onto a blank page. She tried to shift her position, to get an even better look at the wound when pain shot through both her side and her legs. She glanced at her legs and the sight almost caused her to faint. Her legs were twisted at odd angles. They were broken.

"What happened to my legs?" Ochako managed to choke out after a moment of silence.

"I broke them." The man said simply. "I can't have you escaping now, can I?"

"What do you want?" Ochako asked, her voice gaining a slight edge of confidence as she let her anger seep into her muscles.

"Oh, but if I told you that, it would not be a surprise would it?" The man replied with a cold chuckle that drained what little courage Ochako had gained.

Even so, she set her face in the most determined look she could muster. If she wanted to see her friends, Deku and Iida and the rest or class 1-A, and become a hero, she needed to stay focused and not give up no matter how difficult the situation got. The villain saw the look she put on her face and broke into another small fit of cold chuckles.

"You going to fight me now are you? With two broken legs and a shot to the side?" He laughed aloud this time, his laughter echoing around the stiflingly hot room, bouncing off of the metal walls and dousing Ochako in its cold shadow. Ochako failed to suppress a shudder as the chill of his laughter settled on her shoulders. Noticing this, the villain stretched his legs into a lunging stance, hie head and back as low to the ground as he could muster while keeping a straight back and remaining standing. He looked like a lion about to pounce on a broken zebra.

"Well then," he said with an evil smirk. "Good luck." Even before he had finished his sentence he had launched at Ochako, both his normal and metal hands outstretched for her.

Biting down on her fist to keep from screaming, Ochako twisted her body and used her arms to throw herself just out of his arms' reach. She was lucky that all of his arms had been facing forward rather than some of them blocking the sides of the room, which had enabled her to make a hasty escape from his grasp. But at a cost. Tears streamed down her face and she could barely see in the haze of pain that blanketed her vision, her mind exploding with yellow and red spots. She swayed, her arms barely able to keep her body off of the floor which had now somehow increased in temperature. The heat burned the exposed parts of her body such as her hands and face but the pain was so insignificant compared to her other injuries that she barely felt it.

Ochako managed to raise her head enough to look back at the villain, who was standing and shaking the dust from his hair that had cascaded upon him when he had hit the wall from the momentum of his jump. He turned now to Ochako, a wicked grin on his lips as he saw her body barely able to function.

"So, you are willing to break yourself to win, is that right?" The villain asked.

The sentence sparked a memory in the remnants of her viable thoughts. Her mind brought up a watery image of a green haired boy with bright green eyes and a wide smile that lit up the day.

 _Deku_

Ochako felt herself get slightly stronger.

 _I have to be like Deku._ She thought as she forced her mind to exit the cloud of pain and focus on the task at hand. She shook her head with a quick jerk and forced herself to turn to face the villain. He smiled at her maliciously with a smile that met his eyes. He was genuinely happy to be causing such pain to her right now. Her anger bubbled up over her pain but she kept her face in a look of despair, waiting for him to attack again. It didn't take long for him to launch at her again, this time fixing his last mistake by stretching two of his claws on either side to catch her if she tried to dodge to the left again. Luckily for her, this was what she had been counting on. She forced her legs under her and shot from the ground similarly to Sue with both her arms and her legs, and reached her hands out like a cat. Splaying her fingers, she managed to grab ahold of one of his metallic claws. Again, she inwardly cheered as she pressed her finger pads against the startlingly cold metal, a light pink light emitting from them as she activated her quirk.

Like she had anticipated, the claws lifted above her head, rendering it useless. If she had been stronger, she would have bolted under the arm to touch the villain's exposed side to render him useless as well but that maneuver had cost her even more than the last one. As she rolled underneath the useless arm and away from the villain, she could not even prop herself up on her arms. Her bare skin on her arms and face burned on the hot floor as she lay there, unable to do anything to stop the pain from pumping through her like electrical jolts or the blood from leaking from her body.

Although the villain had once again fallen for her stunts, he had braced himself more and had launched with less fury, resulting in him avoiding hitting the wall. He was able to whip around almost immediately and pounce on Ochako. Four metal claws lifted her from the ground, the other ones (minus the useless one) pointed at her like sentient knives. She gulped but could not do anything more to stop the villain. The villain began to laugh his horrid laugh once more when he stopped dead. The claws that were not occupied whipped around and pointed at the ceiling. They opened up like blooming flowers and a bright light flashed from their centers. After the bright light had faded, the claws closed and opened again, this time facing the wall. The lights now turned on for longer, projecting what they had caught on camera onto the wall. Ochako's whole body went stiff as she recognized the dark green hair of the first figure and the hero costumes of the other three. She tried to hide her surprise but couldn't the shock written on her face as if with a pencil. The villain caught this and looked directly at her, his smile breaking into the most foul smile he had yet given her.

"Ah… more playthings for my lovely claws." The villain said.

Quick as a flash, the metal claws that were not holding her reached around and grabbed ahold of her legs, pulling and twisting them. Ochako let out one horrible scream before the black haze of pain overtook her senses completely and she fell away from consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **The Rescue Squad**

The night was dark and cold even as the students knew that sunrise would arrive soon. The chill settled into their skin even with their costumes on and caused them to shiver. Nobody spoke as every student slunk over the silent meadow like cats going on a hunt, their shoes muffled by the thick mud that was clumped around the grass stalks.

The moon shone high in the sky like a large beacon, it's light reflecting on Aizawa's metal scarf, the capture weapon glinting like a knife in the darkness. Their eyes were sharp even in the dark, and their ears were strained for any noise that would break the natural orchestra of sound emanating from the night around them.

Izuku stood right at the front, Aizawa's back directly in front of him as they were led through the field, Izuku having demanded to be the one to find Ochako since he deemed himself responsible for her loss. More bitter memories flooded his brain and he twitched his head ever so slightly as a way to attempt to clear his head of the horrible events that had taken place that very night. The images began to fade but Ochako's scream as she was sent tumbling to the ground by a bullet rang in his ears loud and clear, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off.

Aizawa paused ahead of Izuku, raising his head and looking around, resembling something like a black panther as he searched the surrounding territory for any sign of danger or a clue to their destination. After a moment though, Aizawa pressed on, holding his capture weapon in both hands to avoid having them rustle on the surrounding brush.

Izuku remembered how Aizawa had been so attentive when they had gone to investigate the crime scene, his face scrunching as he scrutinized every single piece of evidence until he had a grip on something, following every trail until it faded and disappeared. It had been Aizawa who had gotten the group this far, tracking the villain through his destructive, almost drunken manner of travel through town and to the edge of this field. They had been following the villain for a couple of hours, their bones creaking and their feet protesting with every step, but nobody complained as they trekked further and further away from U.A.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed across the field, causing Aizawa to freeze, his body standing stock still in the grass. The other students copied him without even realizing it, their breaths suspended as every head whipped around directly to their right. Aizawa held up an unnecessary hand (for even Bakugo did not even dare think of tearing off on his own) as a signal for them to wait, his eyes narrowing in that direction.

A pause.

Soon another, louder bang echoed across the field, this time followed by a small scream. Aizawa, Izuku, Bakugo, Todoroki, Tsuyu, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Kirishima, Iida and Shoji all moved at the same time, their steps still silent, but rushed as they bolted across the marshy grass towards the sound of their friend in pain.

The sounds faded and the group stood still once more, listening intensely for any more hints to Ochako's location. Izuku forced himself to plant his feet as he felt the familiar itching feeling to start pacing with worry. He could barely contain himself, he wanted to rush in there and protect Ochako with his life, to make sure she was okay and to promise her that he would never leave her side again, no matter the danger. Again, he forced himself to remain still in the now dead silent meadow, the normal nighttime chatter having died down completely at the sound of the scream.

They waited for what felt like hours, the chill of the night sinking even more so that their breaths came out in clouded puffs and their skin felt icy to the touch. Aizawa dipped his head and used his hand to part the grass, nobody moving as he seemed to discover something, his eyes thinning into slits and his hands gripping his capture weapon even tighter than usual.

Aizawa moved forward slightly, his feet making no sound as he stepped through the grass. Then they all heard the slight whirring sound. If any nighttime noises had still been floating through the night, they would have missed it. As soon as the whirring sound stopped, a terrible scream pierced the night like a sharp sword, stabbing through their hearts in a way that sent an icy chill down the spines of the group.

Ochako.

Without even thinking, Izuku rushed forward. He barely registered Aizawa calling his name or his classmates pounding behind him, his head filled with rage and worry and his vision obscured with red. The screaming continued for what felt like an unbearable amount of time, cutting into Izuku's heart deeper and deeper with each renewed voice of pain. Finally, Izuku skidded to a stop where a steel door stood ajar in the ground like a metallic hole. He did not even hesitate to jump in, the screams surrounding him on all sides as he slid down what he imagined was a tunnel, darkness covering his eyes and suffocating his other senses. The cold was nearly unbearable in the tunnel, the darkness the depth of the tunnel contributing to a chill that Izuku had never felt in his life. It was so cold that his teeth burned when he opened his mouth to suck in a breath.

But then he hit the bottom of the tunnel. The transition from severe cold to extreme heat was almost enough to make him pass out, his head swimming as the temperature change rocked his body. Where ever he had landed was just as dark as the tunnel, his senses completely obscured by the darkness that swallowed him. He ventured one small step forward, his hands reaching out cautiously as he searched for any kind of wall, table or tool to grab ahold of. All of his senses were on high alert, so when a loud gasp and a soft, "Damn it!" sounded behind him, Izuku jumped out of his skin. He felt someone's hand wave around him before hitting him in the face. He let out a small noise and shook his head.

"Izuku? Is that you, you damn nerd?" Bakugo whispered from directly to his left.

"Yes it's me."

"It's fucking hot in here." Bakugo said, his voice so low it was almost a rumble.

"Yes but that doesn't mean you should gripe about it Bakugo." A soft voice said from Izuku's right. Both students had to clamp on their tongues with their teeth to avoid calling out as Aizawa shuffled around beside them, his hands digging through the pockets of his costume for something.

Suddenly, a small click echoed in the room and the bright light of a flashlight chased away the surrounding darkness. All of the students had made it down the hole, although Tsuyu was shaking the sleep from her eyes (caused by the cold induced hibernation state from her frog quirk) and Yaoyorozu was trying to wake Kirishima, who had fainted from the intense heat.

"What now?" Iida asked, his arm resting on a nearby wall for support, his face pale and his glasses askew on his face, his eyes dull as if he had a fever.

Aizawa didn't answer but instead held up the flashlight with one hand and held up his metallic scarf with the other, scanning the room. The room was almost completely empty, save for a few metal cabinets that were lying dented and broken on the floor and some rubble that surrounded them.

Aizawa stretched out a hand behind him.

"Everyone please file behind me, I don't want anyone getting hurt on this mission." He said. The students knew that this was unlikely given their situation but followed Aizawa's orders silently and without hesitation. Izuku once again stood at the front, his bright green eyes flashing with the reflected light as they wildly shot to every corner of the room in search of his friend.

Then Aizawa's light moved to the very far back right corner of the room, a corner blocked by metal cabinets and showered with rubble. A limp figure was suddenly bathed in that light, her back facing them so that the light would not reflect in her eyes.

"OCHAKO!" Izuku cried out, using her first name without even thinking and rushing forward to meet her.

"Izuku, no!" Aizawa called behind him but followed Izuku at a slower pace anyway. Izuku skidded to a stop at Ochako's side, dropping to his knees and using a gentle hand to flip her over. Her eyes were closed and her face had a few bruises but it was otherwise unharmed. Again, without thinking, Izuku lowered his head to her chest and placed his ear there, listening for a heartbeat. Tears welled up in his eyes and when he closed them they ran down his cheeks, creating two lines that cut through the dust on his face.

She was alive.

He turned to tell Aizawa and his friends when one of the cabinets in front of him shifted slightly. Everyone froze except for Izuku, who pulled the unconscious Ochako close to him, his arms holding her protectively so that the pain of her wounds would not wake her. He realized that she felt surprisingly light and small in his arms, his muscled biceps gently but firmly holding her to him so that one arm was curled beneath her legs and the other supported her upper back and shoulders, causing her head to rest in the crook of his neck.

The cabinet moved again, this time creaking and cracking.

"Midoriya get out of there!" Aizawa said his voice cracking with worry and urgency. Izuku made to stand up when the cabinet seemed to explode, the otherwise small piece of metal expanding and reshaping until the villain with the eight arms stood before him with a devilish smile plastered on his face.

"I would like it if you would please not steal my trophy from me." He said his voice sending chilled needles cascading down Izuku's spine before he launched at the pair of them, his arms outstretched.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Into the Unknown**

Izuku shot away from under the villain's outstretched arms, green lightning flashing around the room as he activated One for All throughout his entire body. At the same time, Tsuyu shot her tongue out and wrapped it around the villain's midriff, the tension causing the villain to be yanked backwards. Aizawa sent his capture weapon after Izuku and Ochako, the metal bindings just barely missing the pair before the hit the wall. Just before impact, Izuku turned his body so that his back felt the full force of the collision as his power threw him around the small room, which did not give him enough space to use his quirk effectively.

Ochako whimpered softly as Izuku's arms jerked at the sudden impact of the collision. Izuku glanced down and softly shifted his arms but leapt away from the wall where he knew he could be cornered if the villain recovered faster than expected. He finally skidded to a stop beside his classmates. Todoroki and Iida quickly moving to stand in front of the pair, Iida shielding them with his arms outstretched on either side of him while Todoroki stood in a more aggressive stance with both arms raised in the air, his hands curled into fists as fire exploded from his left side.

The villain had collapsed to the floor and was tangled in Tsuyu's tongue but he was trying to stand, his many bionic arms attempting to untangle themselves from each other. All of the students stood around their friends, Shoji and Kirishima holding onto Tsuyu's shoulders so that she would not get dragged down with the villain while the other teens set themselves up to protect Ochako and Izuku. The villain propped himself up on his flat palms, his hair dangling in his face as he strained to lift the bottom half of his body off of the floor.

"It's over villain." Aizawa said, his eyes flashing red and his hair raised above his head as he activated a power-erasing quirk.

"Give up this fight, we are here to claim back one of our top students." He said, his voice filled with icy fire. "And you will not mess with U.A. ever again."

The villain paused in his efforts to stand to look back at Aizawa, his eyes narrowing and his smile starting to falter. His clawed arm tips snapped in frustration, the metal arms still trying to untangle themselves fruitlessly. His eyes darted to his metallic arms, back to Aizawa, and then settled on the students. He saw the frog girl being supported by her friends but standing strong all on her own, the half and half teen standing guard over his friends along with a bird boy who stood with a dark, shadow like creature covering his entire body so that he looked almost twice his size.

Then he began to laugh.

His laugh filled the entirety of the chamber in a chilling echo that rattled down the spines of the students assembled and made a small trickle of doubt worm its way into their minds. Bakugo whipped around to face the villain, his eyes wide with a bright fury that seemed to match the heat of the room.

"WHAT ARE YOU SO HAPPY ABOUT?" Bakugo spat.

The villain merely continued to laugh until he could hardly breath, his chest heaving up and down as he bellowed.

"Back down Bakugo," Aizawa said. "This guy is insane."

"What do you mean?" The villain asked, twisting his head around to look at Aizawa directly in the eyes, his laughter having ended so abruptly it left the students stunned.

"I mean you are a psychopath," Aizawa said cooly, his scarf whipping around his face as his gaze intensified on the villain. The villain's face had turned to an expression of stone, his features hardening so that they barely resembled that of a human face anymore.

"That is a matter of perspective." The villain said. That was when one of his arms shot out towards Aizawa, catching him and restraining him in it's iron grip. Everyone had been so focused on the trapped villain that they had not even noticed that one of his more hidden arms had freed itself.

"Aizawa!" Shoji called, running towards their teacher who was beginning to cough as the strength of the metal claws began to make it difficult for him to breathe, his ribs cracking painfully under the pressure.

"Shoji no!" Kirishima called out to his friend, one hand releasing Tsuyu to reach out towards Shoji. That was when the villain noticed the weak spot and reached around with his another untangled arm, grasping Tsuyu's tongue and yanking hard.

"Ribbit!" Tsuyu cried out in surprise as she was whipped from her spot on the ground and was slammed into the wall behind the villain. Detangling himself from her tongue the villain was able to fully stand up, rolling his shoulders back until they satisfyingly popped.

"Now this is much better!" The villain called out happily just as Tokoyami rushed over to Tsuyu.

"Tsu! Tsu, are you alright?" He asked frantically, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her arm.

"Yes I'm alright, ribbit." She said, allowing him to help her stand up. Although Tsuyu was recovering, the loss of Tokoyami's position brought about more positions for the villain. With his metal arms acting almost of their own accord, he twisted to avoid a fire attack by Todoroki and focused all of his energy on Yaoyorozu, who had created several small metal guard walls and a shield. About six of his arms struck out at Momo, their teeth snapping as the creativity girl twirled and twisted to avoid his attacks. Even with the guards it was just too much to focus on. Finally, the arms broke through the walls and rained attacks down on Yaoyorozu, never pausing in their strikes so that Momo could not recover or even create more shields.

"Yaoyorozu!" Todoroki yelled, leaping forward with a fresh fire attack that enveloped the villain entirely. No sound came from the burning villain, and so after a few moments, Todoroki relaxed his body and allowed his quirk to die out. Once the fire had ceased into nothing, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu were shocked to find that the villain was gone.

Just gone.

The pair frantically looked around, their eyes scanning every corner for the eight armed villain. Nothing stirred in the room except for the metal arm that was still trying to crush Aizawa. The end of the arm was lying on the ground, the exposed wire ends sparking feebly while the rest of the arm worked as if it were still attached to the body.

"Todoroki," Izuku said, still cradling Ochako to his chest. "Did you just…?"

Nobody responded and still nothing stirred.

That was when Izuku felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The green haired boy whirled on the spot, careful not to stir Ochako too much even given the situation. That was when he saw a glimmering form of liquid metal rising from the ground. It twirled and twisted and rose far above Izuku's head. Then the metal started to take form, a head and body shaping from the liquid metal as if it were being carved in real time just before their eyes. The figure finally crashed to the floor, his body entirely solid metal. Although his form slightly resembled that of Tetsutetsu from class 1-B, he also looked much more terrifying with completely flawless metal face features but sharp edges that coated his arms, chest and legs. He looked as though he were made of knives and swords everywhere except for on the face. His hair was non-existent in this form, only a shiny bald head was exposed, gleaming even in the gloom.

This transformation happened in only a few seconds, giving Izuku just enough time to set Ochako on the ground behind him before the enemy was on top of him, his remaining metal claws raising in the air menacingly. Izuku dropped his body over Ochako, using himself as a human shield as the villain clawed at him in an attempt to get to her. He screamed as one of the metal claws sliced through his side but grit his teeth and curled his arms around her body even tighter. Suddenly the weight was lifted from his back and he glanced up to see Shoji, thrusting himself forward as his many arms wrestled with the metal claws of the villain. The villain snarled like an animal and viciously tried to slash at Shoji only for metal to meet metal as his claws collided with Iida's hero costume.

The hit should've sent the engine hero flying to the side but Iida had prepared for attack by firing up the engines in his legs so that when the hit collided with him, he did not go far. As soon as Iida stopped sliding to the side, he used the remaining power in his legs to sprint at the enemy, locking arms with one of the claws while Shoji fought with two more.

"Run Midoriya!" Shoji and Iida both shouted as the swung around the villain, twisting around his attacks and using their shared strengths to outpace him. Izuku was already ahead of them, his quirk sending him shooting across the room. He had picked Ochako back up again and had carried her quickly away from the fights that had sprouted up throughout the room; various students fighting his many robotic arms. Tokoyami, Kirishima and Tsu were trying to help pry Aizawa from the death grip of one claw while also trying to fight off another arm at the same time. Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Bakugo were fighting two more together, using more of Momo's shields and a cannon as well as Bakugo's and Todoroki's fire powers to fend them off.

Izuku looked around frantically, his mind a whirl of decisions and consequences. He wanted so badly to help his friends, to give them the upper hand, but at the same time he refused to leave Ochako as it was his fault she had been captured in the first place. His eyes finally locked on a shaded corner of the room, sheltered by many of the broken cabinets and scrap metal that was piled on the floor. Jumping at the opportunity, he made a decision that he hoped he would not regret later. Using his quirk, he bounded to the spot in just two strides and immediately shut off his quirk, not wanting the flashy lightning to attract attention to the spot. Once he was sure he was hidden by the rubbish and the narrow walls, he leaned Ochako against the wall and shrugged off the top half of his hero costume. It was torn and caked in dust but it was better than nothing. He folded the jacket into a thicker, more comfortable object and set it on the ground between two dull pieces of scrap metal. He realized how lucky he was that it was hot in the room rather than cold as he didn't think he would have been able to keep her warm if it had been obnoxiously cold instead. Picking Ochako up once more, he held her close to him for a fraction of a second, contemplating his decision.

"I can't lose you again." He whispered into her ear, a few stray tears sliding down his cheeks as he held her, one hand on her lower back and the other on the back of her head so that she was completely snuggled up against him.

"Never again." He said. Then he lowered her gently onto his jacket so that it served as a makeshift pillow. After making sure that she was as comfortable as she could possibly be, he stood up.

She would have looked peaceful if not for her wounds, he reflected.

Then a determined light entered his eyes and Izuku spun around, pretending to ignore the fact that his best friend was lying helplessly in this corner behind him. He got to the edge of the wall, his bare back pressed against it as he prepared to leap out, when something made him freeze in his tracks.

"You won't lose me." A small, weak voice floated to him from behind the debris.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Fire & Lightning vs Liquid Metal**

Ochako's pounding head woke her up. The pain was striking her head like a mallet, hitting harder and harder until she slowly rose back into consciousness. When she did come to, the whirl of motion around her nearly sent her back into unconsciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and closed, but she didn't have the energy to keep them open. She knew that she was sitting up, although she didn't know how; and she knew that someone was moving around in front of her but that was as far as her brain was able to process.

Suddenly, the felt strong calloused hands lift her from the ground and hold her close to their body, their grasp on her gentle and kind. She heard the sound of someone crying, sobs drifting from the mouth of her rescuer ever so softly. So softly in fact, that she thought she was imagining the sounds at first, maybe imagining her rescuer entirely. But then one of those gentle hands stroked the back of her head and held her close, whispering to her, words of comfort.

"I can't lose you again." Her brain managed to snag from the voice.

"Never again."

That was when her brain recognized the voice. Her eyes opened a little bit wider than then they had been able to before when she realized that the person she was snuggled up against was none other than her best friend and crush since the sports festival at U.A.

 _Deku._

She would have gasped or hugged him back if she had had the strength, but she barely had the strength to keep her eyes open so she had to sit still as her hero lowered her back onto the ground, nestled between some rubble and laid her head on a soft, square object. She watched as he stood up, casting one last sad but determined glance in her direction, and walked to the edge of the wall that was concealing them.

She felt her strength start to return in very small doses as she realized what situation they were in. The metallic rubble everywhere, the rush of motion in every corner, the sounds of yelling and screams. They were not free yet, not as she had originally thought. She glanced back at Izuku and saw his legs bend, about to leap into the fray outside of the wall.

Ochako slightly began to panic, he was about to go fight. He had saved her and she had done nothing. Forcing all of her energy to her lips, she spoke softly.

"You won't lose me."

She would have been worried that he had missed the small sentence if he had not frozen like a deer in the headlights when the sound drifted to his ears. She saw him whirl around to face her, more tears streaming down his face.

"You are awake." He managed to gulp after a few moments, his eyes shining with something that Ochako could not read in that moment.

"Barely." She managed to croak out.

Izuku trotted back over to her, careful not to make any unnecessary noise as he bounded over the debris. He kneeled down and pulled her back up into his chest, giving her a soft hug so as to avoid causing her any extra pain.

She did have to fight the urge to flinch as pain shot up her leg at the movement, but she needed this and did not want to scare him away so she sat still and allowed him to hold her, her own eyes watering at his touch.

"Deku." She murmured, happy that she did not have to raise her tired voice.

"Shhhh, don't speak." He whispered back. "Save your strength Ochako."

Despite herself, a bolt of lightning shot down her spine at his use of her first name. In that moment, she was grateful for the gloom as a bright blush rose in her cheeks. She knew it wasn't the time but she couldn't help feel like lightning when Izuku was around.

"Thank you." She whispered despite his warning.

She felt his arms tighten around her a little, and she gave his knee a little squeeze in return as this was as far as she was able to lift her hand without pain. He finally released her and held her at a distance, his eyes scanning over every surface of her face and finally landing on her eyes and hanging there. She held his gaze even though her blush intensified.

"I will get you out of here, but right now I have to help our classmates. Stay here, and stay out of sight." He lowered her once more on top of the makeshift pillow and stood up. He walked quickly back to where he had been by the wall and peered around the corner at the action on the other side. Once he had confirmed that there was an opening for him, he turned back to Ochako.

"Stay safe for me, I can't live without you."

Before Ochako could say anything in response, he activated his quirk with a flash of green lightning and had leapt out from behind the wall with an angry yell.

Ochako stayed where she was supposed to for a little while but the calls of her classmates as they fought the terrifying villain was almost too much to bear. Bracing herself, she strained every muscle in her lower body until she was able to push herself into a sitting position. By the time she was able to sit up on her elbows she was panting hard and pain was shooting in a nonstop current up and down her side and legs. She could barely move but she couldn't just lay there either. She inched her elbows from behind her to sit beside her knees so that she was sitting forward slightly. Gulping hot air into her lungs and gathering whatever courage she had left, she lunged forward into a crawling position. She had to bite her fist to keep from screaming as the blinding pain rocketed through her body like a white-hot flame spreading through a forest, burning her from neck to toe and sending her head swimming.

Ochako paused, laying on the ground and panting as she waited for the pain and nausea to pass. It took what felt like hours but eventually cooled down enough for her to begin to think straight again. Swallowing her fear, she looked back at her legs and felt the blood drain out of her face at the mutilated mess she saw instead. Her legs were still there alright, but they resembled two charred logs that had barely survived a forest fire.

A high-pitched scream radiated from outside followed by an angry bellow. These sounds caused Ochako to whip her head back to face the front but it also cleared her head. She had a goal and she had to make it there. Forcing herself to fight through the pain, Ochako reached a hand forward and slapped the metal floor. Tensing her fingers, she dragged herself to meet that hand, gritting her teeth and once again biting her fist until it bled. Struggling against the urge to relax and succumb to the darkness swirling around her vision, she reached her opposite hand out and dragged herself across the floor. She continued this painstaking process until she had managed to get herself to the edge of the wall, her breath ragged and stabbing to her throat as she fought for air against the pain that threatened to swallow her whole. Her fist ached with the pain of her teeth sinking into it, but she finally made it to the wall and found a place to peer out without being seen.

What she saw nearly made her forget her pain and rush out to meet her classmates. Aizawa, Tsu, Tokoyami and Kirishima were fighting several of the metallic arms which snapped and whirled around the group, lashing at them like furious snakes trying to kill a common enemy. She noticed the way that the ragged group was tiring, but what worried her was the state Mr. Aizawa seemed to be in. He was bleeding from the mouth and is normally exhausted state seemed to be exaggerated a lot more than usual. She had seen him look like this in only one other instance, and that had been during the USJ attack during their first semester at U.A.

She also saw Todoroki, Bakugo, and Yaoyorozu fighting against a few more claws using shields, a cannon and lots of fire. But the fire was a lot less dramatic than her classmates were usually capable of and the shields had taken so much damage that they looked like scrap metal picked up from off the floor.

Ochako felt her breath hitch as one of the claws whipped around, slamming into one of the battered shields with the force of a truck going fifty miles an hour down a highway. Her ears rang with Yaoyorozu's scream as the shield slammed into her body and threw her against the wall. Tears slid down Ochako's cheeks and she had to place a hand firmly over her mouth to keep from calling out.

"Yaoyorozu!" She heard Todoroki cry out before his voice was cut off as the claws took advantage of the distraction to wrap themselves around his waist and slowly start to constrict him. Bakugo screamed with rage and threw himself at the claws, using large explosions to attack them. Unfortunately for him though, the small space prohibited him from using his usual enormously destructive attacks. The claws took advantage of this and one grabbed him by the ankle while the other wrapped itself around his chest and held his arms out, forcing his explosions to harm his friends rather than the enemy.

She couldn't take it, her friends were injuring themselves in order to protect her while she sat behind this wall, unable to use her useless legs. Her head suddenly snapped up as a flash of green lightning jolted across the room in the form of Izuku, his eyes a blaze of bright fury and determination as he headed straight for the body of the enemy, who was still fighting with an exhausted Shoji and Iida.

Iida was thrown against the wall and the enemy charged him, about to strike him to the ground when Shoji dashed in front of the villain, locking arms with him. Shoji's multiple limbs tried to pry at the metallic body, slamming his multiple fists into his body to no avail. Even with his attacks growing weaker and weaker, Shoji was able to provide some recovery time for Iida, who bolted away from the wall and struck with another Recipero Burst to the villain's back.

But they were losing.

Even with Izuku leaping into the fray, the villain was just too strong. Unlike Kirishima's hardening or Tetsutetsu's steel, this villain did not seem to have a time limit no matter how many attacks rained down on him. Not only that, but the villain was able to morph more mechanical arms from his back and sides, forcing Ochako's friends to fight to their very end.

Ochako gritted her teeth once more. Anger surged through her veins and her pain felt as if it had been doused in some sort of numbing liquid, allowing her just enough relief for her to pull herself to her knees. She was wobbly and almost black out again, but she held onto the wall and forced herself to remain awake, the energy flooding her body empowering her to move, to help. She was supposed to be a hero right?

Taking a deep breath, Ochako moved away from behind the wall, but remained pressed against the back of the room, staying in the shadows and lying low to avoid detection. Even her fellow students did not see her as she crept behind Aizawa and made her way towards the villain's body. As she crawled, she held her hands out, touching every piece of scrap metal she could find allowing all five of her fingers to touch the various metals so that a soft pink glow fanned out from the pads on her fingers.

She turned another corner and felt a stabbing pain in her side where the bullet rested. She knew she was losing a lot of blood but the stabbing pain was duller than before thanks to the adrenaline pumping through her veins so she kept going, pushing herself to the brink. Finally, she reached the villain, hiding in the shadows behind him while he and his claws were distracted by Shoji, Iida and Izuku. Gathering her courage, she began exercising an aspect of her quirk she had been working on in private for a long time. She had taken many early mornings, before the rest of her class woke up, and had gone to the training grounds to practice a new move she had thought of in a dream. Aizawa had caught her, but had decided to help her perfect it instead when he heard her plan for the move.

Remembering Aizawa's encouraging words from practice, Ochako crawled out into the light, allowing herself to be seen by the villain. At first, the villain had twirled around to avoid an attack and had nearly missed her, but then he whipped back around and stared at her open-mouthed. She knew she must look crazy, sitting with her current injuries and preparing to fight but she stood strong against his menacing glare.

"Well well well. It looks like my trophy wants to have a little bit more fun." He said with a smirk.

Iida, Izuku, and Shoji all froze and turned to see Ochako facing the villain, her legs shaking as her injuries struggled to hold her up.

"OCHAKO NO!" Izuku cried out, his voice cracking as he struggled against two of the claws that were still fighting with him. Iida and Shoji also tried to get to her, four more arms fighting Shoji and his many limbs while two occupied Iida.

Ignoring the calls of her friends as they screamed at her to get back, Ochako took one more crawl step forward, having to fight to keep from collapsing, and pressed her finger tips together.

"Pick & Choose followed by my new special move, Torpedo Drop!" She howled.

The pink hue that accented the pads on her fingers faded and disappeared, which resulted in a loud roaring sound coming from above. The villain only had time to look up before every piece of scrap metal began pounding on his head and neck with the force of one thousand grenades. At first, his metal skin held up but then it started to weaken and crack under the pressure, eventually failing. The metal retreated from his skin like liquid being poured onto a surface in rewind, revealing his normal human skin. The metal pieces soon struck home, hitting his exposed head and back as well as burying him in scrap metal. As for her friends, her first move (Pick & Choose) had kept them well protected, sheltering them with the old, damaged shields that Momo had created when fighting the claws earlier. A few pieces of metal slit through the shields and managed to hit her friends but they were otherwise unharmed. All of the claws that had been fighting with her classmates or attempting to crush them suddenly went limp with their master, releasing her friends and hitting the concrete flooring with a _clang_.

Everyone was silent.

Todoroki was sitting by Yaoyorozu, sheltering her with his own flaming body, careful not to burn her. Bakugo was leaning against a wall for support but was leaning down to help up an exhausted Kirishima. Tsu was using her tongue to hold Aizawa in the air (he was still conscious but was very injured) while Tokoyami and Dark Shadow supported her from behind. Shoji, Iida and Izuku lifted the shields from their backs, peering at the surrounding damage before standing up and discarding their protection to the side.

Then everyone looked to Ochako.

Ochako swayed on her knees, her eyes glazing over as a huge wave of pain cascaded over her senses, causing her to cry out. She suddenly had no strength in her legs and fell towards the ground. She braced herself for a rough, pain filled landing when bright green light filled the room in a brilliant flash and she felt herself land on something soft and gentle. She still had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming but it was a much more forgiving fall.

Izuku did not speak, he just adjusted her so that she was cradled in his arms, holding her once more closer to his chest. She snuggled her face into his neck, exhausted and barely able to move.

Silence filled the cavernous room, the intense heat so sweltering that it began to press on the bone-tired students as if it were a real weight.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **The Aftermath**

Izuku did not hesitate as Ochako began to lean to one side and eventually fell off of her feet entirely. Activating his quirk and leaping towards her, he managed to catch her well before she hit the ground. Her face was the palest he had seen it and her breath was fast and short. He did not speak to her, he was already worried enough about her, he did not need her to try to talk to him as if her body was not almost completely twisted up. His own legs protested with weariness and slight pain but he did not even acknowledge his own body as he adjusted her so that one of his arms was curled beneath her knees while the other was cradling her upper back and shoulders. She naturally tilted her head so that it could rest in the crook of his neck, making him blush despite himself as she sighed with content.

Nobody else spoke either, their eyes wide and their bodies so tired they were barely able to walk. They all knew they had face some serious dangers but in that moment, none of them could remember them being as dangerous as this one. Aizawa finally broke the silence with a small cough as he cleared the dust from his throat.

"Come on everyone, I'll call the police and an ambulance but let's get up to the surface for some fresh air." Everyone agreed with quiet mumbles of acceptance before making their way towards the tunnel they had come in from.

"Hey Sensei?" Kirishima asked from the entrance of the tunnel. "I don't know how we are going to get back up, this tunnel surface is completely smooth." Tsu allowed Aizawa to drift to the tunnel entrance and peer up into it, his face scrunched in concentration.

"Hm… does anyone have enough energy to do a quick scout of the walls for another way out?" Aizawa asked around as a general idea.

"It's okay, I have a better idea." Tsu said. Gently setting Aizawa on the ground, she turned to Tokoyami and smiled at him. "If Dark Shadow is up to it, maybe I can use my tongue and you can use Dark Shadow to lift our friends up through the tunnel?" Tokoyami nodded and a battered Shoji came up beside him.

"I can also help a little," he said, his many arms gesturing at the tunnel entrance.

"Are you sure you are up to that?" Aizawa asked, a slight hint of concern in his voice.

"Of course." Tsu said confidently despite her tiredness.

Aizawa hesitated but then nodded in conformation.

"Alright, everybody form a line starting with the most injured and ending with Midoriya and Uraraka since they will be a heavier load." Aizawa glanced over at the pair and saw Izuku nod in agreement before making his way to the back.

Tsu started with Momo Yaoyorozu while Shoji took Todoroki and Tokoyami carried Iida. One at a time, the three lifted their fellow students up through the tunnel until everyone except Aizawa, Izuku, Ochako, and Tsu remained (Tsu had insisted on Tokoyami and Shoji going up first).

"Take them first." Aizawa said gesturing towards Izuku, who still cradled Ochako to his chest.

"Sure thing Aizawa." Tsu said wrapping her tongue around Izuku's waist and carefully lifting them through the tunnel. Izuku heard her grunt at their combined weight but she kept them held high until the brightening night sky was visible. They broke through the tunnel entrance and Izuku gasped, filling his lungs with the fresh night air, fully enjoying it's coolness as it washed over his face and refreshed his body. Aizawa came up next, followed by Tsu who vaulted herself through the entrance by wrapping her long tongue around a nearby tree.

The group just sat in the grass for a while, panting heavily and waiting for the sweat to dry on their skin while they waited for the police and ambulances to arrive. Shoji and Tokoyami sat together in the soft grass, discussing their different experiences with the same villain. Todoroki was still sitting with Yaoyorozu, who had come back from being knocked out but was still a little disoriented, leaning on Todoroki for support even while they sat in the grass. Bakugo sat with Kirishima, who was wrapping a small bandage wrap he had brought with them just in case around a small gash in Bakugo's arm. Bakugo scoffed and complained that he did not need the bandage but allowed Kirishima to do it anyway, slightly enjoying the closeness of his friend. Aizawa was lying in the grass with his phone in his hand and his capture weapon in his other, as he stared off into the distance, watching for the police. Finally Tsu, Iida, Izuku and Ochako all sat under a nearby small oak tree in the slightly darker shade despite the chill in the night air. Tsu and Iida were talking rabidly about the villain's quirk but Izuku was not interested for the first time in his life. He was fully immersed in the life in his arms, holding her to him as if to protect her from anything that might jump out at them.

A few tears slid down his cheeks but he was able to control his emotions for the most part, for her sake. If he fretted too much she might become too horrified with the condition of her body. Ochako shifted a little in his lap, her head nuzzling into his chest and her hands resting beneath her chin, one balled into a light fist to support her head while the other was splayed out on Izuku's chest, her fingers resting on his fine-toned abs. Once everyone had emerged from the tunnel, Aizawa had used two extra hair bands that had been sitting on his wrist to tie Ochako's thumb to the palm of her hand (as if she were making the number four) to keep her from involuntarily causing things to float. Izuku was grateful for that now as Ochako slept on his chest, glad that he would not have to be tethered to the ground to keep from floating away.

Izuku blushed as she moved against him, her body trying to snuggle even closer to his. He knew it didn't mean anything, she was barely conscious and he was trying to support her so of course she would try to get as close to his warm body as possible but it still caused butterflies to jolt in his stomach everytime she moved. He looked down at her, surprised by her small form as she lay in his lap. She felt light, as if she might float away into the wind if he did not hold onto her. With this thought, he squeezed her gently with one hand on her shoulder, as if to anchor her to him. She responded by nuzzling her face even more into his chest and gripping his shirt a tiny bit tighter with her splayed hand.

That was when a low rumble sounded over the quiet meadow. Every student tensed up, but relaxed when Kirishima pointed towards the street at the flashing lights.

"It's the police!" He yelled excitedly, his voice filled with the relief that his other students felt but didn't voice. After a short while, the droning was joined by the distant wailing of sirens as the police and two ambulances tore down the street. The students waited patiently for the cops to arrive and only stood up from their resting spots when the cars had pulled to a stop.

The sirens wailed one last time before dying out, only the flashing lights remaining as the officers filed out of the cars. The chief of police stepped out of the first car followed by-

"All Might?" The students called out incredulously.

"Yes I'm here! Is everyone okay? Who is hurt?" All Might asked, fretting even before his second leg was out of the car.

"Take it easy soldier." The chief said. "I'll do the statistics and then you may worry about them."

All Might's gaze swept over his students and fellow teacher one last time before he nodded and sagged against the car door.

"Alright then," the chief looked directly at each student. "Who was severely injured in this party?"

Aizawa used a tree to help himself stand before addressing the chief.

"Eijiro Kirishima, Katsuki Bakugo, Tsuyu Asui, Shouto Todoroki, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Izuku Midoriya only have minor injuries such as a few small gashes and bruises." He said pointing to each respective student as he addressed them.

"But Ochako Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu, Tenya Iida, and Mezou Shoji all got hurt pretty significantly." He said gesturing to them. "I suggest you get them help right away."

The chief nodded and jotted down a few quick notes on a pad before glancing at Aizawa.

"You know, you don't look so good yourself Eraser."

"I know, I think I may have broken a few ribs when being crushed from one of his metal claw arms." He groaned, twisting his body slightly from side to side until he winced with pain.

"We will get immediate help for you as well." The chief said jotting down a few more notes.

"One last thing, where is the villain?" The chief asked. As if on cue, the other officers surrounding him raised their weapons a little higher into the air.

"He was knocked out when Ochako Uraraka used a wonderfully executed attack to get him out of the running and save her friends. He is down in the tunnels somewhere."

The chief looked down at the ground, his men copying him, and then looked back up at the girl lying limply in Izuku's arms.

"It looks like it cost her no matter how well she performed her attack." He said.

"No," Aizawa countered. "She was tortured before we arrived to save her." The chief looked up at Aizawa and All Might snapped his attention to Izuku and Ochako. Izuku held Ochako to him even more tightly at that, her screams echoing in his head like knives stabbing his heart. Ochako did not move at his tightened touch.

"Alright that is all I needed to know, I will quickly have my men ready the ambulance while some friends and I investigate the area." The chief said, signalling with his left hand to the left wing of men who approached the ambulance and began helping to unload it. The right wing turned away from the students and followed the chief towards the tunnel entrance to get a closer look. As soon as the men broke off, All Might rushed over to each students, quickly checking them over for any fatal injuries. He was happy to see that even some of the more major injuries were not too serious.

Then he finally made it to Izuku and Ochako. Izuku did not even realize that his idol was standing beside him until he cleared his throat softly. Izuku still jumped and looked at his teacher in shock.

"Sorry All Might I was a little distracted and didn't see you there!"

"I figured." All Might said with a small smile and a soft chuckle. But his eyes were filled with sadness when he looked down at the pretty girl. Her legs twisted and her side mangled by a blood-thirsty bullet.

"How is she holding up?" All Might asked after a moment of silence. Izuku did not take his eyes off of her when he answered.

"She is strong but she is slowly losing this battle, I don't know how much longer she can fight." Another tear slid down his face despite his efforts to stifle it. All Might felt his own tears prick at his eyes as he saw his future predecessor cry over his dying friend.

"She will make it," All Might siad, forcing his tears to the back of his throat so that he sounded more sure of himself. "Like you said, she is strong."

All Might placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder and pulled him into a loose one-armed hug before releasing him to check on the other students.

Izuku sat down on the grass again as he waited for the ambulance to be ready. He knew that the police were working fast to get it set up but he felt as if he had been there for a lifetime. He gazed down at Ochako, his heart full of love and worry as her breathing became evermore shallow. He started to talk to her, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Hey, you are going to be okay Ochako," more tears spilled down his cheeks. "And after you get all better, we can go get ice cream, my treat! We can also play games in the common space back at the dorms, I want to learn how to beat you at Super Smash Bros." He wiped his tears away and forced his voice to grow stronger, for her.

"We can also go sparring if you want, you are already an amazing fighter but you said that you wanted some more one on one practice. You will kick my ass but it will be a lot of fun. Just keep fighting and then we can go home. I am with you, no matter the danger I am with you," He paused.

"Forever."

The tiniest smile tugged at the corners of her lips and that gave Izuku hope like a flashlight turned on in a dark room.

"That's it Ochako, just keep fighting and it can just be us, together forever as everlasting friends. We've already weathered every other significant event fate has thrown at us, we can sure as hell survive this one."

A bigger smile appeared on her face, it wasn't much it was just a larger curl of the corners of her mouth but it gave Izuku a feeling like he was being filled with warm liquid gold. He finally couldn't take it anymore, leaning down ever so slightly, holding her firmly in his lap, he brushed his lips against hers. He did not want to hurt her, and he doubted she even felt the same way but he had to do it now, no matter the consequences that may come later. He only brushed her lips, nothing more but when he pulled away, her smile was the widest he had seen it since she had been captured, brightening the dark world around them like a bright, deep sea lantern.

That was when a loud explosion sounded in the distance. Izuku twirled around, careful not to hurt Ochako too much as he did so. Smoke was unfurling from the tunnel entrance, coiling and uncoiling like angry gray wraiths. A deep laugh echoed from it's depths and rose to meet them, getting higher and higher as it came closer to the surface until it sounded like the true call of a psychopath. Izuku growled and took a protective stance, leaning his body slightly over his own arms so as to protect his best friend with his life. A lot of the policemen had been tossed to the side like rag dolls, their bodies hitting the ground with dull _thuds_.

The policemen who had begun loading students on stretchers into the ambulance whipped around confused, only to be met with the insane eyes of the metallic villain, his body once again coated in silvery liquid metal that had hardened to form armor.

"Guess who?" The villain cried out with a cackle before running at the assembled group with an angry screech that reverberated around the entire meadow valley.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **Together We Stand**

Everyone acted at once, policemen and students running in all directions to avoid the attack. The villain galloped on his many arms at the people gathered in the meadow and this time, he had way more than just eight. More arms than anyone could count sprouted from his back, legs, arms and even his head, snapping their pointed tips and whipping around to grab at students. Tsu ducked and leapt into the air as four arms came after her at once, reaching for her long hair as she sailed away from them. Dark Shadow erupted from Tokoyami's chest with a loud roar as seven arms went for him. The bird boy winced as his quirk grew large and fierce in the paling dark of the night but he managed to keep Dark Shadow to a minimum. Shoji grappled with another five arms, his tentacles clenching the metal so hard that they began to dent inward despite Shoji's exhaustion.

Ochako's eyes flew open at the concussive sounds that boomed around them. All of her muscles tensed so painfully at the noise that she cried out despite herself, receiving a comforting squeeze from Deku, who still held her in his arms. She looked up and found him looking down at her, his eyes filled to the brim with worry. That was when she felt a slight jolt as energy from his quirk flooded her, green lightning lighting up around them.

"Hold on tight." He whispered through clenched teeth, trying to remain unnoticed despite his flashy quirk. Ochako reached one hand up to reach around his neck while she used her other one to grasp a handful of his shirt, making sure to keep her pinky fingers up to keep them from involuntarily floating. Once he was sure she was holding on, Izuku held her ever tighter to his chest and crouched low to the ground before shooting high into the air. Power surged through his body as they flew, his eyes darting from the landscape around them, to Ochako and back again. Finally, he found a small indention in the earth, a low dip that was just hidden enough that the villain would not spot her but shallow enough that she could easily get help should she need it.

Izuku landed and immediately shut off his quirk, the green lightning dying into nothing but little crackles of remaining energy. Using his jacket once more as a pillow, Izuku gently settled Ochako into the ditch. Even as he tried to get her to settle in, she kept trying to rise despite the fact that she couldn't walk.

"Ochako, where are you trying to go?" He asked, placing a firm but gentle hand on her chest. On a normal day she would have been able to use her quirk to push him off but in this weak state she could barely sit up.

"I… want… to help." She croaked as she tried once again to push herself to her elbows.

"No," Izuku said more sharply than he meant to. "You are in no condition to fight."

"I just can't l-lay h-h-here while you g-go off to fight that h-horrible villain." Ochako said as she strained once more to get up. Izuku knew she couldn't fight but he also understood how she felt. He looked her in those gorgeous chocolatey eyes and saw a sparkling determination that mimicked, even possibly rivaled, his own.

Izuku lifted one of her hands and placed his palm against hers. He saw her eyes flicker with something he could not read, but only for a moment before it was gone so fast he could have sworn he imagined it. He ignored the glance for now and continued to scan her face.

"Fine," He said with a soft sigh. "Please wait here, I have an idea."

Ochako paused for a moment but nodded and leaned back into his jacket. Once he was sure she was going to stay, Izuku rose from his place beside her and activated his quirk. He was gone before Ochako could blink, tearing into the sky as if he were a trapped eagle. She waited patiently, itching to try to help but followed Izuku's lead instead, choosing to trust him first. She was happy that she didn't attempt the second option when Izuku can flying back, another person following him speedily on the ground. It only took a few seconds for the pair to close enough to her for her to recognize her other best friend Iida. Izuku landed and Iida skidded to a stop, his engine legs hissing with steam.

"What's the plan Midoriya?" Iida asked as he beheld the crippled Ochako lying in the grass.

"I need you to carry Ochako, she wants to help with the battle but it is obvious that that can not happen." He took a deep breath. "I want you to carry her to the ambulance that is still trying to take people away but maybe, at a distance, allow her to survey the action so that she can at least see what is going on." Izuku said.

Ochako still wanted to help but she understood that this was the best they could do in her condition. Iida looked her up and down, his glasses glinting as he surveyed her wounds.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Iida asked, glancing at Izuku, worry making him look older than he really was.

"It's the best I've got and I understand how she feels enough to just leave her here. Just make sure you stay far enough away from him so that he doesn't notice you. If he does, I will do everything in my power to keep that from happening and your engine legs should be fast enough to get her out if need be."

Iida tapped a finger against his chin as he contemplated, his eyes finally making their way to Ochako's face. Izuku knew he saw the determination in there too, right beside the dimmed pain in her eyes. Finally, he sighed.

"Alright, I'll do it but you need to follow my exact rules Uraraka, okay?"

Ochako nodded gratefully and raised her arms up so that he could carry her. Once she was securely in Iida's arms, Izuku cast one last glance at her, his eyes filled with fear, worry and-

Love.

Ochako sucked in a breath as she realized what emotion was filling his face but he was already gone. Iida heard her rushed breath and checked on her before shooting after Izuku towards the action while remaining at an angle just far enough to stay out of the villain's focus. They crested the hill where the valley sat and Ochako had to shut her eyes at the brightness of the rising sun. The sun's early rays stained the meadow red and glinted off of the silver armor of the villain until it was nearly blinding to look at him. The villain used this to his advantage, managing to fight off the police and the students who attacked him in an effort to protect the most severely injured who were still being loaded into an ambulance.

Ignoring the red hot pain in her legs, forcing it to dim, Ochako shifted herself to avoid the rapid movements of Iida's pumping legs as he ran and peered out into the meadow. Tokoyami was still fighting alongside Todoroki and Tsu but Yaoyorozu was gone along with Shoji and Aizawa. Kirishima and Bakugo were also still fighting, their combined quirks causing a surprising amount of damage to the super villain. All Might was helping protect the ambulance and loading the injured on board, his battle with All for One having nearly destroyed his ability to remain in his hero form. Even now he was struggling but he refused to remain helpless while his students and friends were hurting. They had called for help from other heros but they could not wait until they arrived.

Iida dashed along the perimeter of the meadow, allowing Ochako to scout from his arms but not getting any closer than the very edge of the fight. Ochako could barely even see what was going on, but she did not argue and tried to see what she could from her place. Iida bolted along the edge until he found a low rise in the ground. Breaking the rule ever so slightly and moving inside the perimeter, he was able to crouch behind the rise. Ochako scanned the battle for any sign of weakening in the villain but was unable to find any as the psychopath screeched with laughter as her classmates began to tire. The villain lifted an enormous clawed hand and was about to crush Tokoyami, who was busy fighting five other claws arms, flat when a flash of green light whipped by and sent the clawed arm flying. The arm landed several feet away, sparking at the tips of its split wires before dying out and falling limp.

The villain turned to try to face Izuku but was too slow, another flash of light sending another arm shooting off just as Tokoyami managed to use Dark Shadow to saw more off. Todoroki managed to freeze at least twelve, shattering them before they could break free. Fire had proven almost useless against the metallic villain.

Izuku skidded to a stop beside his friends, his teeth bared in anger.

"Oh, so angry." The villain said as he clacked his metallic teeth together. "You should really learn to manage that."

The group said nothing and was joined by Kirishima and Bakugo short after. The villain glanced up as the ambulance engine started and the vehicle sped away but kept his eyes focused on the group for the most part.

"You should talk." Kirishima said, his hands and arms hardening into rocks. His eyes revealed that he was exhausted, they all were but they remained standing and so they would fight.

The villain smiled a crooked grin at Kirishima, his eyes wild.

"I guess I do have to work on relieving my anger better, I guess I should try some more physical techniques." He said striking with a hoard of clawed arms that had been gathering around them in the shadows. Izuku used his Full Cowling kicks to rip through the arms while Bakugo and Kirishima blasted through them with explosion and stone. Todoroki froze more arms while Tokoyami used Dark Shadow, who was more controllable with the light now, to break as many as he could. But the group was haggard with exhaustion, their fighting spirit slowly slipping away as they fought longer and longer. One claw slammed into Izuku's back and he let out a cry, his back cracking at the impact.

"DEKU!" Ochako called out without thinking. Iida froze as several of the claws ripped away from the battle to stare at the rise. Iida and Ochako were hidden by the hill but they didn't know for how long. No pounding footsteps sounded beyond the hill as they waited with held breaths. No slithering along the soft meadow grass grated on their ears. Iida waited for several seconds, neither of them moving a muscle as they waited to see if they had been discovered. Iida only relaxed after several minutes had gone by. Letting out a breath and hoisting Ochako carefully into a more comfortable position in his arms, Iida took a step forward.

The ground beneath their feet exploded as eight metallic arms broke through the ground with their razor sharp teeth gnashing. Iida called out in surprise and exploded from the spot, his engine legs throwing him forward. But the arms were faster, latching onto Iida and Ochako and ripping them apart from one another.

"Uraraka!" Iida screamed as they were both lifted into the air. The arms pushed through the soil, more arms joining them to restain Ochako and Iida as they got closer to the villain. Iida tried to pry them apart or melt them with his engines but failed every time and was only rewarded with a painful squeeze from the arms every time he struggled. Ochako wanted to struggle but was already trying as hard as possible not to black out from the pain.

"Well well well," the villain sneered as the arms brought the pair to the villain. "Look who we have here, fresh meat."

"No! Ochako! Iida!" Izuku called, followed by the rest of the assembled classmates down below.

"Kill the engine one, I want the pretty one." The villain snarled. The claws took Iida and threw him into the ground hard enough to break bone. Iida screamed as he landed on the hard ground, his eyes watering. The claws were about to grab him again when Kirishima leapt in the way, using his quirk to take the pressure from the many metallic arms that crashed on his and swarmed him like bees. Meanwhile Bakugo and Todoroki dove into the mess of arms to help Kirishima, the latter using a large shelf of ice to carefully lift Iida into the air and away from the villain.

Izuku, though, only had eyes for Ochako, his attacks battering the villain around in quick kicks and punches while also dodging and evading his claws by shooting across the villain and pushing off of the hillside to go back across. But even as he managed to continuously hit the villain and avoid his worst attacks, he could not get near Ochako. He finally landed on the ground beside his friends, panting while sweat rolled down his face, back and legs. His whole body felt hot but clammy despite the morning sun that was beginning to pleasantly warm the earth.

"I can't get to her!" Izuku cried as the villain whipped around and slammed a large squad of metal arms into the ice that Todoroki had sent his way, shattering it into sharp little shards that collapsed to the ground in useless piles. Anger consumed Izuku as he stared up at Ochako, who was gripping the claws with shaking hands, her knuckles white and her eyes filled to the brim with pain, that defiant determination completely gone.

"We _will_ get her back Midoriya!" Todoroki yelled as he ignited his flames and sent more ice slamming into the enemy.

Izuku nodded with renewed determination but a mighty flame still swirled in the pit of his stomach.

"Just hang in there a little bit longer Ochako," he whispered. "Keep going, for me."

Izuku leapt again, this time at Ochako directly, his hands reaching for her as his speed and power sent him soaring over the enemy.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Ochako turned to him and reached out her hand. He lunged for it and was about to grab it when she slapped his hand, a faint pink glow shining out from her fingertips. Her pads, he realized, she had touched him with her finger pads to make him float. He flicked his finger, sending himself shooting away as the villain tried to swipe at him.

"Deku! Tell Todoroki to bring some fire this way! Jump up with him and bring him and his fire to me!" She screamed, her voice turning hoarse as she called out. Izuku was a bit confused by the instructions but sent another kick at the villain before nodding and landing quickly back in the meadow. He rushed over to Todoroki, dodging the metal claws that rained down on him as he ran each one trying some new creative way to crush him. He finally made it over to his icy-hot friend, and yelled at him to follow. Todoroki did not hesitate as they galloped through the maze of writhing claws to the side that Ochako was on.

Holding onto Todoroki's hand, Izuku leapt into the air, his quirk carrying him as fast as lightning despite the extra weight. Todoroki grunted as he raised his legs to avoid the claws that targeted him but flew up behind Izuku just like Ochako had asked. Once they were up to Ochako's height, Todoroki used a long staff of ice to pull themselves to the villain's body. He had to pause to freeze about fifteen more arms that came his way, building something like an ice wall around them. The villain twisted, trying to reach them but Bakugo and Kirishima were causing so much damage that the villain screamed in frustration when the pair flew around him, destroying his precious metal arms.

"What do you need me to do?" Todoroki asked.

Ochako motioned with her hand to a spot a little below where she was being held. Right below them, a bald patch of skin, not covered by armor, stood out in the intricate metal shields and armor that surrounded the villain.

"I think my earlier attack weakened him enough that he didn't have time to fully recharge his body enough to cover his entire body in metal." Ochako coughed out. "This is our chance to knock him out for real this time."

Todoroki and Izuku saw where she was talking about and immediately set to work. Izuku helped Ochako to pry off a piece of metal from his armor while Todoroki continued to fend off the increasing number of metal arms, their jaws snapping in anger. With a final heave, Izuku and Ochako managed to tear off a single loose piece of metal. It was in the shape of a small bowl, curved in on one side and hexagonal in shape. It was only about the size of a small water cup.

"Are you guys ready?" Todoroki asked in a strained voice as another several claws cascaded down on the ice shield.

"Yes." Ochako said in a voice that she had wanted to sound strong but only came out in a ragged cough.

"Ready? One… two… THREE!" Izuku yelled. Todoroki switched as fast as possible from ice to fire and leaned down, pressing his palms to the bald patch at the base of the villain's neck. They heard the villain scream with a horrible screeching sound of agony as the flames caught onto his skin. Then, Ochako leapt forward as far as she could, fighting another wave of darkness and placed the small metal piece onto the wound, leaving one side partly raised to allow oxygen to get in. In order to get more oxygen, the flames suddenly dove down into the armor and raged down his unprotected skin.

The metal arms started to malfunction and fall limp. But even as the villain screamed he would not give up yet. Forcing the last of his claws into action, they began to squeeze Ochako until her screams joined his. Izuku and Todoroki ignored any restraint and pulled on her, trying to free her no matter how painful it was to her. But then the arms gave out. The villain wobbled in place, his towering form starting to crumble as pieces of metal fell off left and right and crashed to the ground.

The villain soon followed his metal parts and landed on the ground with a mighty boom. Izuku grabbed ahold of Ochako and used his quirk one last time to shoot out of the crumbling villain's grasp. He landed a safe distance away, Todoroki soon following suit on a thin piece of ice.

The heroes arrived soon after, followed by another ambulance and All Might but by then the villain had already fallen and Ochako had already succumbed to the darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **Into the Unknown**

Five pro heros showed up at the scene only minutes after the ambulances had come back with All Might. The fight was pretty much over at that point, but with the help of the heros, the police were able to apprehend the villain and get him loaded into a special cruiser heading for police custody. Despite the grim tone, the students were quietly celebrating their victory over the villain, congratulating one another and checking to make sure that none of the wounds were too severe.

The only one who was not celebrating was Izuku. At first, he felt the same relieving joy that everyone else felt, his pale face regaining some of its color as the fear drained from him and the adrenaline turned into excitement. He looked up and smiled at his peers who looked back at him with matching expressions. But then Izuku looked to Iida and saw his face agape with fear. Izuku looked behind him to see Ochako laying on the ground a few feet away. Izuku had managed to catch her when they had tumbled from the villain's grasp but when they had landed, they had been unbalanced so they had both been flung to the ground and separated.

Fear struck Izuku's heart like a spear and he scrambled to meet her. Her legs were twisted in odd directions from the fall and the bullet wound in her side, which had not been as severe before, was now a lot deeper, blood pooling into the grass and coiling around her splayed hair. Izuku flailed in the grass until his legs finally managed to work properly and propel him towards her. He skidded to her side and used gentle hands to lift her into his lap. He gazed at her face, tears streaming down his face.

"Ochako?" He whispered.

No answer.

"Ochako? Come on, we have to get back to the dorms before Aizawa kicks our asses, we are out just a little bit past curfew, don't you think?"

Still no answer.

"Come on Ochako!" Izuku cried out. He leaned down and placed his ear against her chest. He waited.

And waited

And waited.

Nothing. There was no gentle rise and fall of her chest, no soft scratch of her breath. Her breath was not faint, it was nonexistent. Izuku's eyes widened and tears rained down his cheeks. He snapped his head up and howled into the early morning.

"NO, NO, NOT OCHAKO! NO PLEASE DON'T TAKE HER, OH GOD NO!"

The other students were frozen in shock, only Iida able to force his legs to take two steps before he crashed to the ground and landed on his knees in the dewey grass.

Ignoring the stares of his friends, the efforts of the police to load students into the ambulances, and even the stare of his mentor and hero, All Might, Izuku layed Ochako on the grass and began to administer CPR. Plugging her nose, he pressed his lips to hers and forced air into her lungs, lifting his head for a few seconds before repeating the action.

The heroes that had arrived at the scene were stunned for a moment but soon All Might, Best Jeanist, and Gunhead all rushed to Ochako's side, only Endeaver and Gang Orca remaining behind to help get the ambulances prepared to take students away. The three pro heroes raced to Izuku and Ochako, All Might reaching Izuku first while Gunhead and Best Jeanist leaned down to examine Ochako.

Izuku ignored all of them and placed his hands on her chest, pressing down in quick pumping motions in an effort to get her heart beating again. Luckily for Izuku, Aizawa had given the class a lesson in first aid just a few weeks ago which had included how to properly give CPR to a victim hanging onto life by a thread. With each pump of his hands on her chest, he whispered her name through gritted teeth.

"Ochako… Ochako… Ochako…"

"Come on young Midoriya," All Might said, his voice cracking despite his efforts to stifle it. "We can't do anything for her now." A tear slid down All Might's cheek as he said the last sentence, his heart breaking both for the strong heroine in training as well as his broken successor. He leaned down and grasped Izuku's shoulders, trying to ease him to his feet.

Izuku ripped away from his hero, his face set with fury, guilt and intense grief as tears streamed down his face in rivers.

"No," Izuku said with a deadly calm. "I refuse to give up on her," He gulped and looked up at the students and heroes assembled. "I REFUSE TO LOSE TODAY!"

He remembered the first time he had said those words, when he and Ochako had been waiting to enter the practice building for combat training against Bakugo and Iida. He remembered how Ochako had helped him through his anxiety and had fought at his side even though the prospect of fighting two very talented students seemed frightening. The memory gave him courage; gave him hope.

He leaned down again, abandoning the pumping technique and plugging her nose again, desperately hoping that his training would prevail here, that he would not lose his best friend for life. After repeating this for several seconds, he immediately went back to pumping his hands on her chest. He could feel her ribs pressed up against his calloused hands and he pushed harder, hoping with every press that the thumping of her heart would restart beneath those ribs.

"I am here Ochako, and I am not leaving you," Izuku said, his voice breaking. "Come back to me."

He leaned his entire weight into each press, his labored breathing filling the silence as the students watched. The pro heroes did not try to stop Izuku, although all of them knew how to administer CPR, none of them were rescue heroes, and to them, Izuku was doing a rather good job despite the fact that Ochako seemed to be getting colder and colder by the minute.

Suddenly, Izuku just broke down. His sobs and screams echoed throughout the valley, but nobody tried to comfort him. Everyone just allowed him to shout his anger and grief to the world. He pulled Ochako off of the ground and held her to him, his arms wrapped protectively around her as he sobbed into her neck.

"Ochako, I'm s-s-so sorry-y!" Izuku had to pause as more sobs racked his body.

"I failed you, I failed you as a friend, as a hero, and as guardian." He sobbed again.

"I was supposed to keep you safe, I was supposed to there for you and I let you get-"

"You did not fail me Deku." The voice was so soft that he thought he had imagined it at first, but the words clanged in his mind like a savior bell. He pulled her away from chest and looked at her face, his eyes searching wildly over her face and her body, surprise coursing through him. He realized that he had been sobbing so hard that he had not felt her breathing restart.

"GET AN AMBULANCE NOW!" Gunhead yelled at the nearest student, his voice filled with relieved urgency. Iida, who had been sobbing on his knees, now shot up like a rocket and bolted in the direction of the other heroes and the police, waving his arms and screaming at them to send help.

"Ochako! Oh my god Ochako, you're alive!" Izuku sobbed joyfully, holding her to him, one hand cradling her lower back while the other was pressed against her bullet wound to stifle the bleeding. She groaned at the pain his touch to her wound brought but she also leaned into his body, both of her hands finding their way around his neck until she was clinging to him in an embrace just tight enough to show their affection but also light enough that it didn't bring her too much pain.

All Might and Gunhead were also comforting one another as tears streamed down the faces of the popular heroes and the students assembled were all holding each other with relief as the news of Ochako's survival spread amongst the classmates. Iida returned only a few seconds later, followed by Endeavor, Gang Orca and three ambulances. The heroes did not speak as they opened up the backs of the trucks and prepared a stretcher.

Meanwhile one of the doctors who had come with the extra ambulances was trying to separate Izuku and Ochako. One doctor was holding onto Izuku's shoulders and was trying to get him to stand up.

"Come on, you need rest and a check up young man," The doctor said as he tugged once more on Izuku's shoulders. "You are in pretty bad condition yourself."

"I want to stay with Ochako." Izuku said, unrelenting.

"But-"

A small explosion popped on the meadow floor and thin black smoke rose into the air in loose curls. The doctor snapped his head in the direction of the explosion to see an angry Bakugo standing in a loose fighting stance, his hands half curled into fists so that sparks could fly from his palms. Everyone froze except for Kirishima who held an arm out in front of his boyfriend.

"Isn't it obvious that Deku doesn't want to be separated from his girlfriend? He's not that injured, trust me I've seen him when he's hurt, he will survive but right now, you are hurting him worse by trying to keep him from the person he loves. He just saved her life, can't you give the damned nerd a fucking break?"

The doctor's face paled and he released Izuku's shoulders. He stood up shakily and nodded once to Bakugo and once to Izuku before turning and beckoning for Izuku to follow him to the ambulance. Izuku stood up with Ochako curled in his arms and turned to follow the doctor but paused. He looked to Bakugo with a bright red face and smiled at him before walking towards the ambulance. Bakugo flipped him off in response but after a moment, the corners of his mouth twitched upwards ever so slightly.

Izuku had been dozing on and off for the past three days, his body refusing to fully fall asleep as he slept in the hospital. He had been given a quick check up but other than that he had not left Ochako's side, sitting at her bedside day and night. He had been blocked from seeing her as she underwent surgery to remove the bullet and to fix her broken legs but afterwards he had been permitted to stay with her. Izuku was used to being in a hospital and so despite his severe need to be with her, he remained polite and accommodating to whatever the doctors and nurses needed of him, therefore earning their trust. The hospital staff began to really like Izuku and would allow him to stay with Ochako even when normal guests would not have normally been able to, they also liked to give him snacks from the vending machine when he looked particularly worn out.

Izuku entered Ochako's room and sank into a chair by her bedside after taking a break to go to the bathroom and talk to Ochako's parents about her condition. Her parents had been at the hospital minutes after she had arrived, waiting with Izuku for her surgery to end and waiting in her room for two whole days while she recovered. They had left late in the afternoon the day before to tend to work. Ochako's family did not have a lot of money, so even despite their daughter's condition, they had to go home to continue working at their construction business. Izuku's own mother had also called, who had joined All Might in visiting him to make sure that he was not only physically alright, but also mentally stable. His mother had eventually declared him to be alright after hugging and kissing him for two hours and asking him questions to make sure he was okay. He had called her earlier that day to let her know that he was still alright.

Once Izuku was settled into his designated chair by her bedside he looked at Ochako. She looked much better now that she had gotten the care she needed from the hospital but it was still difficult to see her like this, still slightly broken and healing in a hospital bed, covered in wrappings and bandages. His eyes wandered over her pretty face and down to her shoulders where the sheets of the bed covered the rest of her wrapped body. His eyes eventually fell onto her hand which was laying palm up beside where her hips were beneath the covers and wrappings.

Izuku hesitated but took a deep breath and placed his hand in hers. Her hand was so soft and _warm_. He suddenly craved that warmth, that feeling that she was alive and active and full of energy. He forced himself to sit still as the wave of want washed over him. He shook his head, he was being selfish for even thinking like this. He shoved his feelings for her down as far as he could press them and gave her hand a small squeeze. He had been so focused on trying to shove his feelings down that he didn't even notice that she was awake until he felt a small squeeze in return. He jolted in his seat, his eyes widening, all tiredness forgotten.

"Hey Deku, am I late for training?" Ochako asked him in a whisper. Izuku's mouth sat agape as he looked from her teasing smile to his hand in hers and back again.

"You- you're… how are you…?" Izuku could not find the words as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. He squeezed her hand again.

"You're awake." He commented, a few tears trickling down his cheeks as he looked into her eyes. They had a light spark in them again, their chocolatey brown color swirling with emotions, emotions that were not pain for the first time in the past couple days.

Izuku placed his other hand on top of the one already holding her hand and looked her full in the face, his happiness making him feel weak as he told himself over and over again that she was okay.

"I'm okay Deku," Ochako said as she looked into his face and saw the mass of relief there. "It was a close call but I'm okay now." She smiled at him.

He nodded and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Can you help me sit up a little bit?"

His eyes opened again and smiled at her.

"Of course." He leaned down and pressed a button on the control pad beside her bed until she was in more of a sitting position. She turned her body to face him just a little bit and when he sat up he found himself looking right into her face, her face which was now so full of life as it had been before the attack. He cleared his throat as the heat rose in his face and he looked at the ceiling.

"Izuku."

His eyes snapped to meet hers, the surprise of her using his real name lighting up his face.

"Thank you for saving me."

"I didn't save you, I failed you." Izuku hung his head. "I should have been there for you when we were attacked, I should have been taken, not you, and I should not have let you get so close to-"

He gulped, he couldn't even say the word and he looked down at the ground.

"Death." Ochako said.

Izuku's head snapped back up to look at her. Her eyes did have a tinge of fear and sorrow but they were overwhelmed by the look of determination in her eyes.

"You did not fail me." She said to him, not a hint of anger or distaste in her face as she spoke. "You are the sole reason why I was able to survive that villain for so long, you are the reason why I fought tooth and nail for my life no matter the consequences. We stopped that villain together and there was nothing you could have done differently to change the situation. If you had been captured instead of me, I still would have fought just as hard to get you back." Ochako leaned forward and placed a hand over her friend's heart.

"Thank you for saving me." She repeated.

More tears spilled down Izuku's cheeks and he nodded at her.

"Thank you for staying with me." He whispered.

He barely registered what happened, one moment he had been sitting in the chair next to her bed, his best friend comforting him and the next moment, he was being pulled toward his friend, her hand grasping the front of his shirt as she pulled him down to meet her and rose a little in her bed to meet him. Their lips met in a soft kiss between them. He was so surprised that the moment almost went over his head and it was over far quicker than he wished. Soon he was back in his chair, stunned and staring at Ochako with his mouth open and his eyes as wide as moons.

Ochako chuckled a little bit, her face bright red.

"Sorry." She said, her face getting even more red with embarrassment as she wondered whether she had made the right choice.

Izuku looked into her eyes and saw her daring spirit fading away as it succumbed to the fear and embarrassment flooding her face. He did not have the words so he just followed her lead and pulled her to him. She grunted in surprise as he pulled them together and kissed her deeper this time. When they pulled away, Izuku stood and moved to the edge of her bed to sit instead. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and held her hand with the other, their foreheads resting on one another as he stared into those gorgeous eyes of hers.

"Don't be."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **The Dark That Never Fades**

Ochako was in the hospital for a solid two weeks before she was cleared to leave and even then she had to leave with a single crutch. It was another week after that before she was able to return to U.A. to continue her hero training. She had initially feared that her future as a hero might have been broken with her injuries but to her relief, her injuries healed much faster than usual thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses at the hospital. She now entered the hero academia, her crutch gone along with the pain. She still walked with the slightest hint of a limp but she didn't mind considering she thought herself lucky for even being able to walk again.

She jogged down the hallways of the school towards class 1-A, her legs protesting slightly at the change of pace. She wanted to make them as strong as possible so that she wouldn't fall behind her classmates in the hero course so she ignored the slight aching and jogged until she reached the large classroom door marked with 1-A slashed down the front. She paused to catch her breath and then slid the door open. Aizawa was in the middle of lecturing his students on maneuvering in small spaces when attacking or defending against a villain when Ochako opened the door. He paused his lecture and all of the students looked in her direction.

The class seemed to explode as every student rose from their seats in unison. She squeaked in surprise as all of the girls of her class hugged her at once and all of the guys crowded around her with bright smiles on their faces. Even Bakugo rose from his chair despite staying on the outer rim of the circle of teens. Tsu had reached Ochako first and was holding her in a firm but careful hug that the other girls had copied around the pair. Now, the girls seperated and looked at Ochako with watery smiles and eyes filled with tears.

"You're back! Ribbit!" Tsu exclaimed with a relieved smile.

"Yeah I got out a while ago but they just told me that I was clear to come to class!" Ochako replied, finally recovering from the initial shock of being the center of attention.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Kirishima and Iida said at the same time, the latter pushing through the group of girls to give his floaty friend a deep hug of his own.

Aizawa let this continue for some time before sternly ordering his students to get back to their seats and give Uraraka some space. Ochako followed everyone as they flowed back to their desks and settled into her seat with a sigh behind Iida. Aizawa glanced at her and she could have sworn the corners of his mouth twitched upwards a bit.

"Welcome back Uraraka, it's good to see you're feeling better." Ochako nodded to him and beamed at her teacher. He inclined his head ever so slightly to the left before turning back to the board to continue his instruction. Ochako focused everything she had on taking notes and creating lists so that she could catch up on everything she had missed. Izuku and Iida had made sure to bring her homework and notes to the hospital so that she wouldn't fall behind even though Aizawa had excused her from any due dates but she still didn't want to miss anything. Even so, she managed to sneak a few glances at Izuku who sat across the classroom from her. He had stayed with her at the hospital until he was forced to go back to school and even then he had returned every morning before school and every evening after school to sit with her and keep her company. He had come to see her with the rest of the class when she had walked in the door but he was a lot more distant than he was when they had kissed three weeks ago in the hospital. It was not directed at her, she knew it was because he still blamed himself for what had happened to her but he refused to listen even when she tried to tell him it wasn't true. She glanced over at him for the fifteenth time that hour and saw him glancing back at her for the first time. She smiled at him and his lips curled upwards at the corners but he glanced away from her quickly.

Ochako went back to her own notes but she was finding it harder to focus when she was worried about him. He was just so protective and she knew he just wanted the best for her but he was wrong if he thought she would be better off without him in her life. Even after all she had said to him he still believed that she was unsafe around him.

After what felt like an eternity, the bell rang signaling the end of the school day. Ochako knew that she would have to make up the material from her morning classes but she decided on doing that later when she saw Izuku rushing to pack up his stuff. Ochako had planned for this and was already packed by the time the bell rang so she was able to bound over to him before he could leave.

"Hey Deku!" Ochako said with a genuine smile at her friend. Izuku looked up in alarm and backed away a few feet.

"Hello Uraraka!" He said. His voice was genuinely cheerful, he was very happy to see her, but she could see the fear in his eyes that he might hurt her again.

Ochako inwardly cringed as he reverted to using her last name again. Normally this would not have been a problem considering he had called her that since the day he had met her, but recently he had been using her first name. She secretly liked it when he did.

"Want to walk with me to the dorms?" Ochako asked, shaking off the feeling of disappointment. Izuku hesitated but when he looked up into her eyes and saw a bright sparkle there, he nodded and continued to pack up his stuff.

"Great!" Ochako said, pumping her fist into the air. That was a mistake. She had been fully healed but her bullet wound still had a lingering grasp on her and her breath hitched with slight pain as her raised arm stretched the skin on her side. Izuku's head snapped up, fear in his eyes at the sound of her gasp.

"You know what Uraraka, I think I will head out alone, I've got some work I have to do and I have to get back to the dorms quickly." He didn't wait for her reply before he ran from the classroom, a few stray tears running down his cheeks. Ochako paused by his desk, her mouth still open to tell him to wait and her arm reached out to grab him.

"But I don't want you to go." She said with a sorrowful sigh as she lowered her hand and bent down to grab her stuff.

The time read 2:56 a.m. on her flip phone and she rubbed her eyes with exhaustion but Ochako could not sleep. She had worked on her homework until around 11:00 a.m. trying to catch up on the stuff she had missed before retiring for the night but no matter what she tried she could not coax sleep to knock her out. Everytime she closed her eyes she felt the bullet strike through her side like lightning and heard the insane voice of the villain laughing at her as he ripped at her broken legs. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and although she tried to stifle them, they ran down her cheeks and landed with soft taps on her pillow with increasing frequency. Finally Ochako sat up with an annoyed huff, admitting to herself that she would probably suffer yet another of her frequent sleepless nights.

Sliding her legs over the side of the bed and hopping off and onto the floor, Ochako opened her dorm room door as silently as possible. It made the tiniest of squeaks but she managed to open it enough for her to slip through without making too much noise. She padded barefoot down the hallway and into the common space, walking on her tiptoes to avoid waking any of her friends. Her head swam with lightheadedness and she cringed at every shadow in the dark common space but she forced herself to the kitchenette that was attached to the main living area. She opened one of the cabinets and pulled out a large water cup, she hoped some water would help clear her head and cool her nerves. She leaned over to the faucet and poured herself a full glass of water, savoring the coolness against her finger pads. Her memory flashed back to the stifling heat of the underground lair and she gulped down the water in a desperate need to flush the memories from her system. She had drained the glass in only a few gulps and almost lunged to the sink for more.

It was after her third full glass of water that she felt it. She dropped her glass and heard it shatter on the ground but she didn't care as she bolted for the bathroom that was also attached to the common space. She barely made it to a toilet, not caring to shut or lock the door as she flung the lid open and vomited into the bowl. The white hot memories of pain and heat and suffering came flooding through her mind with every heave. Her stomach twisted painfully and she threw up again, the villain's wicked laughter echoing in her ears. Her face felt hot, too hot, her body felt like it was on fire and she felt like throwing herself into an ice bath. She tried to sit up but vomited again, her dinner coming up all at once. Her breathing became more and more shallow and although she tried to remember some calming breathing exercises, the memory of her legs being stretched and snapped over and over again made her breathe so fast that she was gasping for air, searching for something to cool down her body and her mind.

Rough, cool hands suddenly gripped her hair ever so lightly. She winced at the touch and almost cried out, whipping around to face the possible attacker. The sound of her cry died on her tongue as the green hair and dark freckles of her best friend came into view. She shuddered and let out a huge sigh of relief at her friend.

"Deku, you scared me, what are you doing up?"

He didn't answer, instead he just brushed more of her hair back from her face and pulled it into his loose fist so that it was out of her face. His fingers brushed her cheeks with feather-like softness.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his eyes glimmering with worry and sorrow, their green color misted over with grief.

Another wave of nausea crashed over Ochako and she threw her head back over the toilet as she vomited again.

And again.

Suddenly she felt Izuku place his hand on her back and start to rub comforting circles between her shoulder blades. Ochako spat into the bowl, the sour taste of the vomit coating her tongue. Izuku did not speak, he just comforted her and held her hair back as she relived the horrors of her capture and torture with the villain. Finally, she dry-heaved one last time and felt her stomach relax, all of its contents spilled into the toilet in front of her. She reached a shaking hand up to the handle and flushed it down, her breathing finally calming as the water cleared. Once the vomiting ended, Ochako felt all of the strength leave her body. She had been on her knees when she had been throwing her guts up but her arms and legs now refused to hold her up. Her body started to shake violently and she felt herself slide from the edge of the toilet bowl towards the ground. But she landed in rough, strong arms.

Izuku caught Ochako with one arm wrapped around her shoulders and used his other arm to curl it under her knees. Careful not to jostle her too much, Izuku stood up from his kneeling position on the bathroom tile floor and carried Ochako back into the common space. Her whole body was still shaking and she clutched his shirt with one hand and clung to him using her other arm around his neck.

"I'm sorry Deku." Ochako choked out between her horrible shaking.

Izuku shook his head and gave her a watery smile.

"Don't be sorry, this is not your fault." He said in a low whisper, rough with an emotion Ochako had never heard before.

She shivered again, although this time it had nothing to do with her dreams or vomiting.

"It's not yours either." Ochako managed.

Izuku looked down at her and gave her a slight squeeze as he carried her. As he reached one of the couches that stood in the center of the room, he shifted Ochako in his grasp and gently laid her down on the soft cushions.

"I'll be right back Uraraka, okay?" He said in an even softer whisper. She nodded and shifted herself so that she was more comfortable on the couch. He left and returned a moment later with a pillow and a blanket from his own room which was directly across from the common space.

"Here you go." He said softly as he laid the blanket over her. He then kneeled down and used one hand against her upper back to raise her from the couch slightly and used the other to place his pillow under her head. Once she was settled, he walked to the end of her feet and sat down on the couch beside her, one hand resting on the armrest of the couch and his head leaning back into the couch pillows.

"Hey, Deku?" Ochako asked.

"Hm?"

"Why are you awake right now? Did I wake you?"

He paused.

"No you did not wake me Uraraka, I couldn't sleep. Actually, I haven't been able to sleep in a couple of nights." He replied, his head turned to look out the window.

"I haven't been able to sleep properly since you were admitted to the hospital." He rubbed his eyes and yawned widely before looking directly at her.

"I have been tossed awake by dreams of you getting hurt, or dreams of me not being able to bring you back. Dreams of being in this world without you." Izuku said, his green eyes filled with something that Ochako could not read.

Ochako blushed and turned away from him.

"Thank you." She said quietly, her voice hoarse and her body still shaking.

He did not answer, he just went back to looking out the large windows displaying the views of the dorm courtyard and training areas.

They sat in silence for several minutes, Ochako's shaking never ceasing even after finishing her bathroom adventure. Izuku wanted to sleep and he wanted to comfort his friend but felt as if he couldn't do either. He rested his chin on his propped up fist and watched the stars glitter in the sky like baby diamonds.

"How long has the vomiting been occuring?" Izuku asked after a few moments, still facing away from her.

"Ever since I was admitted to the hospital." She echoed his words from earlier. Izuku turned to look at her, worry lighting his green eyes.

"How have you been able to preserve any energy during the day?" He asked.

"Lots of coffee and some prescribed medication." Ochako replied. "I've been unable to keep any food down lately so I've had to have supplements that dissolve more quickly… more quickly than food so as to keep up… keep up my stamina..."

Ochako's breathing slowed and when Izuku turned to glance at her, he found her dozing, one arm clutching his pillow and the other held close to her chest. She was still shaking hard enough to make the couch tremble, but it must be a good sign that she is starting to sleep, right? Izuku stood up ever so slowly and padded silently past Ochako towards his room to try to get some sleep of his own. He was almost to his door when he heard her stir on the couch and heard the softest sound of "Deku." whisper across the room. He turned around and walked back to Ochako to see her shaking more violently than before, her eyes wide and filled with fear.

"I know you're tired Deku but could you… c-could you s-stay with m-me tonight?"

Izuku's heart clenched tightly at her fearful face and the plead in her voice. Still he hesitated and swallowed loudly in the dark room before nodding slightly. He went to go sit at the edge of the couch, as if to guard her for the night, but Ochako stopped him.

"I mean… could you c-come over here? With... me?"

Izuku gulped audibly this time and Ochako blushed.

"I don't mean anything like that," she whispered. "But I just want to feel grounded, to feel like I am here and with someone I care about." She said, her blush growing. Izuku still felt nervous and his heart was a fluttering mess but he nodded again.

Using her elbows, Ochako managed to sit up (with a little help from Izuku) to make room for him. Izuku laid down on the couch, placing the pillow against the arm rest so that it would not poke him in the back of the head all night. Then, once he was settled into a comfortable position, he allowed Ochako to rest her head against his chest, her back pressed against his legs so that they were pinned between her and the back of the couch. Ochako sighed a little and her shaking subsided slightly, her hands curled into light fists against her own chest. Izuku breathed in deeply and tried to calm his wild thoughts as well as his crazy heart as Ochako leaned against him.

Suddenly, a car passed by on the road outside, its headlights flashing through the large windows on either side of the front door, and a dull roaring filling the front of the common space as it passed. Although this was a regular occurance for the students at UA considering there was a popular street right outside of the dorms, Ochako flinched so hard that she groaned as a light pain pulsed through her side. She squirmed to get away from the sound and light of the passing car even though it had already gone past the school and ended up with her back pressed against Izuku's chest and her head nestled into his neck. Izuku froze in surprise at this sudden change but eventually got his composure back. He reached an arm around and curled it over her waist protectively, his own face snuggling into her shoulder. Using his free arm, Izuku pulled his blanket over the top of them. Several awkward minutes passed, but after a time that seemed to take both an eternity and a second, Ochako's breathing slowed to a deep rhythm and her body relaxed against Izuku. She was finally asleep.

Izuku felt his brain start to fog up and he sighed contentedly as sleep finally began to overtake his senses. Just before he fell into his must-needed slumber, though, Izuku realized that Ochako had stopped shaking entirely.

Izuku was barely awake when the bright sun peered through the windows in the early morning. His green eyes fluttered open and the first thing he saw was a mass of brown hair and a beautiful face buried in his neck and chest. His heart shot up into his throat at the sight and the memories from the previous night caused a light pink hue to rush to his cheeks. She looked so peaceful resting against him, so different from how he had found her last night, leaning against the toilet and unable to stand as she threw up everything she had inside of her. He realized that she had shifted her position, last night she had been facing away from him with her back arched against his chest but this morning she had flipped so that her face was buried in his neck and her hands had wandered so that one was looped around his neck while the other was pressed against his sternum. He had shifted too he realized, looking down to see one of his hands curled around her back while the other cupped the back of her head, holding her closer to him.

Suddenly a loud squeal jolted the pair awake, causing them to leap away from one another. Ochako ended up on the floor and Izuku leaped over the back head of the couch so that he landed with a crash on the edge of the kitchenette.

"Mina!?" Ochako asked in horrified shock. "What- What- What are you doing here!?" Ochako babbled, her heart still racing with surprise.

"What am I doing here?" Mina asked incredulously. "This is our dorm, what are _you_ doing out here on the couch with Midoriya?"

"Nothing! It's not like that, I got sick last night and-" Mina started to laugh as Ochako covered her face and activated her quirk on herself, floating high above the room and bouncing off of the tall ceiling.

Izuku stood up from the couch, his face such deep red that he looked like an over ripe tomato, and held out his arms.

"Ochako release your quirk, I'll catch you."

Ochako peered at both Mina and Izuku from between her fingers before bringing her shaking hands together to release her quirk. She normally would do a somersault and activate her quirk on herself for half a second when falling from a great height in order to avoid hurting herself but she was not high enough in the air for her to use that tactic so she complied. She landed in Izuku's arms with a soft grunt from both of them and although she was grateful, she sprang from his grasp as if he had burned her, both of their faces bright red under Mina's wide eyed stare.

Ochako mumbled her thanks and the pair tried to part ways and head to their respective bedrooms when Mina lunged for Ochako. Ochako gasped and instinctively leaped out of the way, but the pink alien girl caught her off guard. Izuku turned to go to Ochako but his floaty friend waved him off with a smile.

"I'll see you at lunch!" Ochako said cheerfully before turning to follow Mina into her bedroom on one of the upper floors.

Izuku watched them go for a minute before turning to walk to his own bedroom. He pushed open the door and gasped as a hand fisted itself into his shirt and yanked him into his room, slamming the door behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **Moral Support (Well, Sort Of)**

 **Hello everyone! Sorry, I've been MIA for a while but school is finally over and things have been nonstop busy for months. I am so happy to be back, this story has been really fun to write and I appreciate everyone who has stuck with it for this long! Thank you to all of my readers, new and old for encouraging me, you guys are the reason why this is such an enjoyable experience! I have a new story that I am writing that will not only be fun to write but I think you guys will really like it, so stay tuned for that first chapter! In other news, I had the idea of possibly writing an MHA + HTTYD crossover with my own twist. Would anyone read that? Let me know down in the comments if you are interested and I will see if it is worth it to write. Again, thanks for all of your support, here is one of the last two chapters of this story! Enjoy!**

His room was still dark as the curtains were drawn so Izuku had to blink a few times to get used to the dimness after waking up to the sun's early brightness. The hand that had yanked him into the room had released him so he took a moment to rub his eyes and clear his head. When he removed his fists from his eyes he gasped and stumbled backward as seven pairs of eyes stared back at him, filled with curiosity.

"How did you guys get in here!?" Izuku gasped in surprise.

"You left your key on the floor, you damn idiot," Bakugo said without hesitation as he examined his fingernails with apparent disinterest.

"W-what are you guys d-doing h-here?" Izuku tried and failed to avoid stuttering as all seven of the boys in his room turned to him and smirked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Iida said darkly from the corner of the room.

"Obvious?"

"Man you really are so stupid," Bakugo muttered.

Izuku crossed his arms and frowned, gazing at the group of boys assembled there. For some reason, Todoroki, Iida, Bakugo, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima, and even Tokoyami were standing in Izuku's room, staring at him. He had a sneaking suspicion as to why.

"Well, it isn't really normal for a group of guys to sneak into someone's room and call the owner of the room names." Izuku retorted to Bakugo's tone, starting to feel defensive.

Bakugo snorted and finally looked into Izuku's eyes before quickly going back to pick at his nails.

"Well it isn't normal for a good friend, who you thought you knew well, to sneak off after a distressing event and sleep with the girl who went through the said distressing event," Iida yelled at Izuku, standing up suddenly, his face lit up with anger.

Izuku's jaw dropped almost comically as he took in his friend, who was nearly shaking in his anger. Izuku put his hands up and shook his head violently.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You guys are taking a pretty big jump to conclusions, that is _NOT_ what happened last night!"

"Really? Then explain Midoriya, what did happen? Why were you on the couch, cuddling up next to her this morning!" Iida said, his eyes glittering. Izuku had never seen Iida this angry. He decided rather quickly that he hated every second of it.

"Yeah Midoriya, tell us what happened!" Kaminari piped up from the corner of the room, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "I honestly didn't think you had it in you, I'm curious." Kaminari laughed as he was pummeled with half-hearted punches and angry glares. Izuku blushed so hard he thought his face was on fire.

"Iida I promise nothing happened! Uraraka was sick and scared so when I found her throwing up in the bathroom last night, I tried to make her feel better by covering her with some blankets from my room. When I tried to leave, she asked if I would hold her while she slept so that she wouldn't feel so scared. I would never do anything violating to Uraraka. Ever." Izuku said, putting every ounce of truth he had into that statement.

The two boys stared at each other for a few moments before Iida finally relaxed.

"Oh thank god! I hated putting up that angry facade, but I needed you to see how serious the consequences of your actions would have been if something like this had actually happened." Iida said, sitting down and wiping his brow with a sleeve.

Izuku blinked a few times, his face a picture of his dumbfounded confusion.

"What?"

"I didn't think that you actually did anything to Uraraka," Iida said. "But I found you asleep together on the couch this morning and I worried about what might have happened. I am sorry for jumping to such drastic conclusions." The whole room seemed to relax as Izuku's face broke into a smile, the words finally starting to sink in.

"I'm sorry for scaring you guys, I promise it was nothing." Izuku blushed but felt his shoulders relax and his face fall into a more natural expression.

"Still," Sero said with a smirk. "You got to sleep next to a girl, how did that feel?"

"Oh, I don't want to-"

"Oh come on, you have to!" Izuku was cut off as Kaminari piped up again.

"Yeah Midoriya, live a little! What was it like?" Kirishima asked.

"We shouldn't press an investigation, you guys," Iida said. Izuku shot him a grateful look but unfortunately, even Todoroki cut him off.

"Nothing crazy Midoriya but I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious."

"But you have a girlfriend! Wouldn't you know what this is like already? Kaminari, you also have a girlfriend, Jirou, and Kirishima you are with Kacchan! What is all the hype for?"

"It is true that I have Momo," Todoroki began. "But this was your first time being this close to a girl, we want to know how you felt."

Izuku scratched the back of his head nervously and blushed beet red again.

"This is the closest you have ever been with Uraraka, isn't it?" Kaminari asked.

Silence answered him.

"My money is actually on that this is _not_ the first time he has been close to Uraraka," Sero said with an even wider smirk.

"Nothing crazy!" Izuku nearly yelled in his embarrassment. "But… we have… kissed before." He said, rubbing the toe of his shoe into his carpet.

"WHAT!? Really?" Four of the boys yelled in excitement and surprise. Even Todoroki and Tokoyami looked at him in surprise. Bakugo was the only one of the group who did not react other than a shocked glance in Izuku's direction.

"That wasn't crazy either, it was just a quick kiss that I gave her in the hospital." Izuku paused and gave a shuddering breath as the memory repeated in his mind. "When I thought I was going to lose her." Izuku glanced up at his friends. All of the smiles were gone now, sympathy and sadness glittering in their eyes.

"You guys wanted to know how it felt to be by Ochako's side last night?" Izuku asked, reverting to her first name. "It felt safe and calming. I was so panicked by that villain attack, by the near loss of this special person in my life that I, yes care very deeply for, and the fact that I almost couldn't save her. Both of us needed last night, to remember and to forget." Izuku said, still staring at the floor. Silence met his confession, but after a few moments Kaminari spoke up again.

"Midoriya when we ask you how it felt to sleep next to a girl we don't mean for you to give us your life issues." The lightning hero joked. The atmosphere fell into one of relaxed happiness again but a silent weight hung over the boys as they continued to ask Izuku questions and play games amongst themselves. Izuku was finally able to excuse himself when he got a text from his mother and was able to convince his friends to leave so that he could call her. Once they were gone Izuku slumped against the door with a heavy sigh.

"What a day…"

 _Meanwhile on a different floor…_

"Uraraka I swear! Spill the beans! Who knew you were so damn stubborn?" Mina danced around a flustered Ochako, her arms waving around in excitement. Ochako covered her face in embarrassment, her pinkies raised to keep herself from floating to the ceiling.

"We don't want to force her into anything," Tsuyu said from beside Ochako, placing a comforting hand on Ochako's shoulder.

"Yes, we do! She has to tell us everything! She slept with a boy!" Mina squealed.

"No, no, no, I did not, we slept on the couch together but nothing happened!" Ochako's face was an even brighter red now, the color reaching her ears and spreading down her neck.

"Well we wouldn't know, would we? Details!" Mina said spinning in place almost like an excited puppy.

"I don't want to make you too embarrassed, Uraraka but even I have to admit that I am curious to hear how this happened in the first place," Momo said from the back of the room.

Ochako peered between her fingers at her classmates, her eyes meeting each of their hopeful faces as she scanned the room. Finally, she loosed a breath and lowered her hands until they fell to her sides.

"Alright, I will explain."

Mina looked like she was about to have a heart attack in her excitement and even the other girls smiled and glanced at each other.

"It is not that interesting, nothing happened between us as I stated earlier, but I could not sleep. I came down to the kitchen last night for a snack and some water but just ended up getting sick. I was in the bathroom throwing up when Deku showed up. He was really nice, he just talked to me and held my hair back. When I was finished, he picked me up and brought me to the couch to sleep. He was such a comforting presence that I felt cold loneliness when he tried to leave. I asked him to stay and what you saw this morning was the result," Ochako said, still not looking her friends in the eyes.

Mina really did squeal this time, her eyes wide and her hands were balled into fists that were placed beneath her chin. Ochako felt the flames in her cheeks flare up again and she had to really fight the urge to cover her face again.

"That's so adorable!"

"I have to admit that is rather sweet." Momo pointed out.

"I am just glad that you were able to get some sleep last night, Ochako," Tsuyu said with a small nod. "We were all really worried about you."

The other girls nodded in agreement, Mina still gushing and prancing around Ochako's bedroom. Suddenly, Ochako's phone buzzed. Ochako went to pick it up when Mina snatched it away from her.

"OOOOH! It's Midoriya!"

Ochako's heart beat a fraction faster than normal.

"He says he wants to meet with you, Uraraka!"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it is rude to read someone else's text messages?" Momo asked with an annoyed glare, grabbed the phone from Mina and handing it back to Ochako.

"But if he does want to meet with you, I guess we should give you two some space," The creation hero turned and nodded to her fellow female classmates and made her way to the door. The rest of the girls followed her out, Mina and Toru giving her a thumbs up on their way out. Ochako shut the door behind them and slid down to the floor. She felt as if she had just been forced to run a mile.

"What a day…"

Izuku paced back and forth in his room, waiting for Ochako to knock on his door. He had spoken to his mother on the phone and had decided to ask Ochako for a small favor. His hands felt sweaty and his breathing was rough and quick but he really didn't know why. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm his nerves, why was he so nervous? He jumped as a soft knock sounded from his door. Izuku took a deep breath and strode to the door, forcing his hands to keep from shaking. He opened the door and immediately felt his nerves melt away into nothing. Ochako smiled sheepishly at him from her place in his doorway, her eyes gleaming with shy happiness.

"Ochako!"

Ochako looked up at Izuku in surprise, he had been using her first name more and more lately but it was still new to her.

"Hello, Deku! What did you want to talk to me about?"

Izuku stepped back so as to allow her to step into his bedroom and shut the door behind her. She walked up to the sliding doors, which were open, and stopped at the railing of his balcony, watching the bustle of the city in the distance. Izuku watched her for a little bit before walking up beside her, resting his elbows on the railing and following her gaze to the city.

"Thank you for last night."

Izuku looked at Ochako, his eyes mirroring his surprise. She continued facing the city, swallowing slowly.

"Are you sure you are okay with what happened?" Izuku said, "I know nothing serious happened but I want to make sure that I did not make you feel uncomfortable last night," He scratched the back of his head and looked down at his shoes. He looked up when he felt a soft, warm hand on his arm, a feeling that sent little sparks through his veins and electrified his bones.

"Last night was the most comfortable I've felt in a long time, Izuku," Her eyes sparkled with the tears that were threatening to spill over onto her cheeks. "Thank you for everything."

Izuku smiled, feeling his own tears getting ready to fall. He placed one of his scarred hands on top of the hand she had on his arm, releasing a slow breath into the warm morning air.

"Thank you, Ochako, for last night as well."

She nodded at him and the two faced the city again, still holding hands.

"Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh!" Izuku brightened and faced Ochako again. "I can't believe I forgot! My mom called and told me that she was going on a little trip with a few of her friends this weekend and asked me to come home to house sit while she is gone. I asked her if I could have a friend over and she said yes, so if you are comfortable with it, would you like to stay with me this weekend?" The sweat had started to build up again and it took almost all of his energy to keep his voice from shaking as he suddenly realized what he was asking. He tried to convince himself that it was just like any other normal sleepover with friends but in his heart, he knew that there was a significant difference this time.

Ochako opened her mouth in slight amazement before breaking into a smile.

"That sounds like so much fun! Of course, I'd love to stay with you this weekend! Let me text my parents but it should be okay."

Izuku felt all of his muscles relax and he loosed a breath that he didn't even know he had been holding. He smiled at her.

"Perfect! Just let me know what they say."

"Of course!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **The Lightning and the Flame**

 **This is it MHA fans! The last chapter of the 'I Won't Leave You No Matter the Danger' story! I hope all of you enjoyed reading this story as much as I loved writing it but I would love any feedback you'd like to give down in the comments! Again, if any of you would be interested in the MHA + HTTYD crossover then let me know because that will tell me what you guys are interested in! I am going to post the first chapter of my second story later today so be ready for that as well! If you have any prompts you would like me to write a story on, then please either comment or dm me because I would love new ideas! I can also do stories on other fandoms if you would like, I have to have seen or read it of course but it can be anime or otherwise! I will also be posting this story and all future stories on Archive or Our Own as well of so if you have a preference, you can read on any platform you'd like! Thank you again to all of my readers, I am so grateful to both the haters and the supporters, you guys are the ones that push me forward! Now enjoy the final installment to this story!**

Ochako stared up at the plain, unassuming door that she knew belonged to Izuku Midoriya. Her heart was racing and her palms were sweaty but she was excited. She wanted to stay with him this weekend as they used to, hanging out and making snacks while binging a show like Criminal Minds or Sherlock Holmes, trying to guess what happens by using crazy theories to come up with the most outrageous solutions. This time, she could feel it, was different but she wanted to make this trip with him feel as normal as possible. Taking a deep breath to boost her resolve and wiping her hands on her pants, Ochako stepped up to the door and knocked. It only took a few moments before a beaming Izuku stood in the doorway, his hair even messier than usual and his eyes bright with excitement.

"You're here!" Izuku exclaimed, moving to the side and motioning with his hand toward the inside of his home. Ochako smiled back at him, her nervousness forgotten and strode past him and into the house. She looked around as she stepped into a narrow hallway that opened up towards the back into what she assumed was the kitchen area. The floors were made up of smooth wooden planks that ran the length of the house in neat vertical lines while the walls simply complimented the space with a cream paint color. She peered down the hallway and immediately spotted Izuku's room which was labeled with a large sign in the shape of All Might's hair followed by a door that she assumed was the bathroom. Izuku walked up beside her and leaned down with his hand extended.

"Would you like me to take your things?"

Ochako smiled down at him and took a step back, bowing lavishly.

"I thank you, my lord, for this outstanding service."

Izuku bowed back without hesitating, a smile teasing the corner of his lips.

"Anything for the queen."

He then scooped up her bag and jacket before trotting off down an extension of the hall to drop it off in her room. He came back a moment later, finding Ochako in the living room.

"It isn't much, but it is home," Izuku said with a satisfied nod.

"It's perfect," Ochako said, spinning in a slow circle around the living room before plopping down on the couch. She sighed and ran her fingers over the soft couch cushions, relaxing fully into the comfortable seat.

"So, what should we do now?" Ochako asked, glancing at Izuku who was watching her with a bright smile.

"Let me think…"

Their clothes lay scattered all over the floor. The room was dimly lit and the curtains were drawn, the nearby streetlights casting weak golden rays into the dark room. The blankets were rumpled and the pair were comfortably snuggled up to one another.

"Wow, that was fantastic."

"I know right? That was really fun!"

"I'm glad you liked it, I was a little worried you'd be disappointed in me."

"Izuku..." Ochako turned to her friend and raised her eyebrow. "I would never be disappointed in you just because you choose a bad movie. I'm happy just to hang out with you! But this movie was not a disappointment at all, I can't believe I've never seen that!"

Izuku smiled and winked at her.

"Good I'm glad you liked it, Ochako."

Izuku yawned and stretched his arms above his head, groaning as his joints popped.

"I'm exhausted though, think it's time for bed?"

Ochako nodded. She was a little worried about tonight especially since she was sleeping in a new place but she had faith that she could be comforted by Izuku's presence alone, even if they were in different bedrooms.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired too," Ochako stood up, stretching her arms as well, her pajama shirt riding up to reveal a little bit of her waist, before rolling her shoulders and bending down to help Izuku up. Izuku took her hand and pulled himself up, stumbling back a little and brushed off his pants.

"Alright so, we do not have a guest bedroom and my mom's bed isn't the most comfortable so you can stay in my room if you want. Don't worry, I've cleared out most of the All Might memorabilia for you so it shouldn't be too cringy." Izuku rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the floor again, his cheeks gaining more of their ever present red hue.

"Thanks, Deku, but you really don't have to give up your space for me, I am fine sleeping in an uncomfortable bed, it can't be that bad can it?"

"No, I insist. You are not causing any trouble by being in my room. I've already put your stuff in there anyway."

Ochako shook her head but smiled at him.

"Thanks, Deku." They stared at each other for a moment until Ochako broke the silence, blushing. "Alright, well I better go get ready."

Izuku nodded and gave her a small wave.

"Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

The pair parted ways as Ochako headed into Izuku's room for the night. When she walked in, she was amazed at how much he had removed for her but the wall paint color, bedsheets, and wall art still screamed Izuku's name with the bright All Might theme. Even dumbed down, it was still kind of an attack on the senses but it was so _him_. She quickly got used to it and grew more comfortable in the space. She went to bed that night feeling a little less disturbed than usual.

The scream tore Ochako from her sleep so abruptly that she hit the back of her head on the headboard behind her when she sat up, jolting into a sitting position like a spooked rabbit. She had not been in a deep sleep but she had been in a deeper sleep than in the past few weeks so being shocked into a waking state like this left her disoriented and frightened. Ochako shot out of bed and nearly blasted through the door, racing to the kitchen where she found a large kitchen knife in a knife block on the counter. She whipped around and bolted to Inko Midoriya's room, knife raised over her head. She shoved open the door and stumbled into the room in her haste to get through the doorway. Her head whipped from side to side, her eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger. Her eyes finally made their way to the bed where she saw Izuku. The green haired boy was flailing around, his arms raised into the air like a cat when it falls off of a railing and his legs had long ago kicked the blanket to the floor. His breathing was panicked and his mouth was open in a frozen 'O' shape. It would have seemed almost comical had it not been for the fear coursing through Ochako's veins. Ochako slowly began to approach him when he screamed again. The sound sent an ice cold shower down her spine but this time she actually heard the word that was interlaced with that scream.

"OCHAKO!"

Ochako abandoned all precautions and raced to his side. He screamed her name again as she reached him, unaware that she was right beside him. She could see the sweat beading on his face, the color drained from him like a blank canvas. She tried calling out his name first but when he did not answer she climbed onto the bed near his feet and climbed on top of him. Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him as hard as she could, her own breathing moving so fast that it burned her throat. His skin burned beneath her hands, she could even feel the heat rising from his shirtless chest, his body was feverish. It only took a few seconds before his eyes fluttered open, those bright green eyes full of worry and blinding white fear. She barely had time to release him and move back a little bit before he pounced on her. Ochako squeaked in surprise as his arms wrapped themselves around her body and pulled her as close to him as possible. Ochako felt the knife that had still been latched in her hand drop to the floor with a dull thud. Izuku buried his face in her neck and one of his hands found their way to the back of her head, grasping her hair and rocking her back and forth. Ochako just sat there stunned as Izuku rocked her, sobbing into her hair.

After a short while, Izuku sat back, his hands placed on her shoulders so that he could just look at her. His eyes roved all over her face, the intense worry and love in them making Ochako squirm.

"Deku, are you-"

She couldn't even finish her sentence as he leaned in and kissed her. His lips were sweet and soft but contained an intenseness that took Ochako's breath away. They fit on hers like the perfect puzzle piece and even though she was surprised beyond belief, she allowed all other thoughts to melt away and let her instincts take over. Ochako closed her eyes and savored the taste of him on her mouth. Suddenly, his warmth was gone and she had to put in real effort to avoid letting out a disappointed sigh. She opened her eyes and saw that Izuku was still holding her shoulders but he was avoiding looking at her face now. He was shaking and his skin was still heated above normal but even in the darkness, she could tell that the color had come back into his face.

"I-I-I I'm s-so s-sorry O-Ochako. I don't know what came over me, I just had this horrible dream but it wasn't real and I was just so relieved that I-"

Now it was his turn to be cut off mid-sentence as Ochako leaned in and kissed him back with the same passion as before but more ferocity. Izuku fell back onto his elbows as he released her shoulders and allowed himself to be overtaken by her kiss. They both closed their eyes as Ochako leaned into her actions. After a few moments, Izuku decided to take charge again and leaned forward, pushing Ochako back a little bit so that she was sitting on Izuku's knees. Ochako sat back a little and uncrossed her legs to wrap them around Izuku's waist, pressing her chest against his. Taking into account this new development, ignoring all doubts, Izuku tentatively inched his tongue out of his mouth and touched Ochako's lips in a hesitant question. Her answer was clear as day when she opened her mouth without hesitation, allowing him in. Their tongues were clumsy and hesitant at first but as the pair grew more lustful, they developed a rhythm that evolved into an elaborate dance.

One of Izuku's hands held her steady at the back of her head while the other found the way to Ochako's hip, his thumb tracing little loops on the skin that had revealed itself at the base of her thin nightshirt. Ochako was on fire, her skin burning with passion and her veins alight with her own self-kindled flame.

Izuku felt like lightning, the electricity generated from their passion causing every hair to stand up on his body as it raced through his bones and down to his very core. He felt like he could run forever at the speed of light, his body felt light and airy as if he were floating on fluffy clouds in the sky. Following his heart, Izuku decided to intensify the feeling of heat and electricity between them by activating One for All. Green streaks of lightning skittered across his skin, lighting it so that a dim green glow was cast around the room. He did not use the power behind One for All, he just created a little static between him and Ochako.

Izuku's electricity, both from his quirk and the kiss, kindled Ochako's flame into a roaring inferno, scorching her inside and out. To others, the kiss my have seemed like something simple, innocent, sweet, but to this pair of young heros, the kiss was everything they were and who they wanted to be. The kiss flushed out their fears as they poured themselves into every movement and every stroke of their tongues. It represented their frustrations and their longing and their comfort around each other. It displayed their relief to finally find peace.

Izuku and Ochako simultaneously rose up on their knees, their bodies pressed against one another and their limbs tangled together as each person tried to hold their partner as close to themselves as possible, afraid to let go. The moment passed after both an eternity and a third of a second, both heroes in training craving more but also a little overwhelmed. The pair broke apart and sat in silence, their heavy breathing being the only sound that filled the room. They waited, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before darting away to look at the blankets or the floor. Ochako suddenly cleared her throat.

"Well, that was... interesting."

"Was it a bad kind of interesting?"

"No! It was… it was…" Ochako cleared her throat again.

"Incredible."

Izuku smiled in the darkness and moved a little closer to her.

"I am really sorry about all of this, I didn't even ask you, and I just kind of jumped on you when all you were trying to do was help me out of a scary situation. I know you just told me you liked it but, I hope I didn't make you too uncomfortable with all of this. Was I moving too fast?"

Ochako shook her head.

"I have wanted to truly kiss you ever since you kissed me for the first time back in the hospital. We've just both been really busy and a lot of traumatic things happened all at once. I have been such a mess for the past few weeks that I didn't think you'd be comfortable being with someone who is basically the walking dead during the day time with how little sleep I get at night."

Izuku swallowed loudly and moved even closer to Ochako.

"I, uh, had a dream about that night with the villain, where you almost didn't make it. I had a dream where I did lose you, where I couldn't do anything and even though I could feel how close you were to coming back to me, you were just out of reach. This dream scared me so badly, it is the dream I've been having consistently for the past few weeks, that when you shook me awake and I saw that you were alive and well, I just had to hold you close to me. I had to prove to myself that this part, you being here and healthy, was not part of the dream."

Izuku was now close enough to look Ochako in the eyes despite the darkness of the very early morning.

"Once I was one hundred percent sure that your heartbeat was not my imagination, I realized at that moment that I could not let another single moment pass where I let my doubts control me, that I could not let another moment pass by where I hesitated and missed the chance to do something with you that I almost lost entirely. You may be alive now but for those few minutes, you were gone and it was for those few minutes that my brain went through not only every moment we've ever had together but also all of the things in the future that I was sure would never happen."

Izuku was glad for the darkness as he blushed a deep red that could only be rivaled by red hot lava.

"Things like hanging out with you, kissing you, going out on dates with you, possibly g-getting m-married someday," Izuku gulped. "H-having ch-ch-children with you, rising through the hero ranks with you by my side. It is because of this sharp realization, that hit me harder than a bus, that I gained the courage to kiss you. I could not let another moment go by without letting you know how I feel and in that moment, I don't think words would have done the trick."

Ochako turned her body to fully face Izuku and raised her hand to cup his cheek. Izuku hesitated but soon did the same.

"Izuku, do not apologize for anything tonight. We have both been through a rough time these past few weeks and although that would not normally be a proper excuse for a surprise kiss on a girl, I believe that our relationship goes beyond that. We had connections way before this villain turned up, the traumatic event just gave us the courage to act on our buried emotions. I am so grateful to have you in my life, you have always given me the strength to fight. Hell! You were the reason I was able to hold up against that villain for so long! I just kept thinking about you, how you would think in that kind of a situation, how you would solve my kind of problem. But I also pictured your dazzling smile and your kind face along with the encouraging words that you always give me that mean so much to me despite probably being small and insignificant to you. Living through the torture would have been a lot more difficult without you."

Even in the darkness, Ochako could tell that Izuku was crying. Dropping his hands from her cheek, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a sweet but firm embrace. He was still shaking from earlier but it had been reduced to almost nothing and his breathing was a lot more steady.

"Ochako, you are the strongest person I know. I could not have gone through half of the stuff you did without caving or giving up. You are a flame that never burns out, holding your torch up high no matter how strong the blizzard around you gets. I could never do something like that. Although I am honored, I did not help you survive, you helped yourself by remaining true to who you are. You are the brightest flame in my life and I will fight to protect you from those howling winds for the rest of my life."

Now it was Ochako's turn to blush. She buried her face into his chest, his skin warm to the touch and his breathing a soothing rhythm that calmed her fluttering heartbeat.

"I love you Izuku."

Izuku's breath caught and Ochako felt her mind cringe, fearing the worst.

"I love you too, Ochako. I always have and I always will."

The pair released each other and looked at each other for a few seconds longer before Izuku crawled back to the back of the bed. Ochako continued to sit at the foot of the bed as Izuku leaned over and unplugged his phone, turning on the screen to view the time.

"Well, it is 4:00 am right now, it's time to go back to sleep, don't you think?"

"Together?"

"Of course," Izuku said, patting the space beside him. Ochako slowly crawled up to the spot where Izuku had motioned to and curled up there, bringing the blanket up to her chin. Izuku rolled over and curled his body around hers, his hand snaking over the bed until he found hers. He pawed at her hand once in a silent question and Ochako opened her hand. Their palms connected and she wrapped her fingers around his, happy to finally indulge in her feelings for the green haired cinnamon roll. Her eyelids started to droop and exhaustion began to set in. In no time the two teens were fast asleep, small smiles teasing at the corner of their lips as they allowed all of their worries to melt away into the night.

END


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